KOCHI: Kerala Women’s Commission chairperson P Sathidevi’s remarks that ‘Sex Education’ should be a part of basic curriculum in the state has triggered a debate. The comment faced fiery opposition as many believe sex education means study of a romantic relationship between a man and a woman. Actually, it is a broad subject that creates awareness about gender, different sexualities, sexual health etc.
It’s high time the authorities took a proactive step as minors were found to be the perpetrators of sexual assault in two recent cases. Taking into cognisance the seriousness of the situation, the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KeSCPCR) has commissioned experts from various fields to study the matter in detail and submit a report. It will be submitted to the government.
“We have to first understand what prompted the minors to commit the crime,” said KeSCPCR chairman K V Manoj Kumar. According to him, the commission has directed the authorities concerned to find out factors that led the minors into the path. “A foolproof solution can be arrived at only after the experts sit down, analyse and study the issue,” he said.
According to sexual health educators, psychologists and child welfare authorities, it is high time sex education was imparted in the schools. “There is a period called the age of innocence. In the past, children up to the age of five were considered very innocent. The Indian Penal Code considers up to 12 years as the age of innocence while in the case of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, it is till 18 years. However, due to the advent of internet, children as young as five are exposed to content which is considered as adult material,” said Child Welfare Committee (Ernakulam) chairperson Bitty Joseph.
According to Bitty, children get acquainted with porn material quite accidentally. “They don’t have to go searching for such material. Whenever a kid surfs the internet for playing games or watching YouTube videos, these websites pop up. Since they are in the most curious age, the kids tend to take a peek. Experimentation follows next,” she said. “We have been getting a lot of cases in which the sexual offenders are siblings. Elder or younger brothers and cousins have assaulted their sisters,” said Bitty. “We had always considered our homes to be safe. But the situation is very different now. Children are not safe anywhere,” she added.
“It’s high time we taught our the children the sanctity of relations. Teaching them good touch and bad touch is not enough. We are at a juncture where it has become important to define relationships. We have to give children proper guidance from a very young age,” said Bitty, who had come across a teen who had been attracted to his sister. She said, in nearly 50% of the Pocso cases, the assaulters have been family members.
“Parents need to take an active role in guiding the children. The need to establish boundaries is high. It would also help if we can prevent porn materials from reaching children. For that, parents need to monitor children’s internet use,” she added. Schools can play a proactive role by helping students understand the pros and cons of engaging in such activities, said Bitty.
‘Need open, safe atmosphere’
“Minors have been committing sexual crimes for quite some time, even before the advent of porn,” said Swathi Jagadish, sexual health educator. According to her, around 800 girls and around 10-15 boys who were abused by either their siblings or cousins contacted her during a session she conducted.
“The only solution is for the parents and teachers to be aware of age-appropriate sexual development,” she said. Why such crimes are increasing? This is because the parents are not aware and they fail to cater to the curiosity of the growing children, she added. “Also, the avenues where the kids get to exploit other kids are very high,” said Swathi.
“Parents need to know that it is okay for a four-year-old to be curious about the genitals of his/her younger brother or sister. However, it is not okay in the case of a child who is seven and above. These kids are supposed to know that it is not okay to look at or touch inappropriately,” she added.
“A child needs to be taught about what is expected from them. Parents need to create an atmosphere at home which will prompt the kids to have an open conversation regarding the topics which they are curious about.” Teachers too need to be accessible, she added. “A student should be able to come and talk to the teacher about his/her experiences,” said Swathi. According to her, sex education through schools will be a better and more practical idea as it will ensure maximum reach.
Students’ concern
“While Kerala is considered to be a well-educated society, we are illiterate when it comes to sex education. No wonder, sexual crimes involving minors and adults are increasing,” said Athira K, a student. It will be good to educate kids from a very small age about respecting the other gender, she added. According to student Amrita Alex, merely teaching good and bad touches won’t do. “Boys and girls need to be taught how to say no and be graceful in accepting rejection,” she said.
‘Need a mature approach’
We need a mature approach to sexual awareness, said Roopa George, mother of two and an entrepreneur. “Increasing instances of atrocities against women are a reminder that we need a mature approach to sexual awareness, acceptance and education.” Like any other physiological process, we need to understand, accept and teach about sex, Anisha M, another parent said. “This also has an emotional part which also needs to be explained. Even now, reluctance and shyness of parents and teachers to have an open, structured and mature conversation, lead to creating a wrong picture on this topic,” she added.
‘Children becoming more aware of gender identities’
The lack of acceptance and information regarding gender identities and sexualities also affects children. Jesna Sivasankar, a psychologist, said she has been getting many cases of children becoming aggressive and depressed as they are unequipped to cope with gender identity problems. “To prove they are normal, they try to become aggressive. However, this issue can be overcome with the support of parents. We need to educate them that gender is a broad spectrum and support them,” she added. Parents also need to be educated about the issue, said Jesna.
‘Not structured as a part of the curriculum’
Though the education boards have been stressing the importance of sex education in schools, nothing concrete has been done. According to Suchitra Shyjinth, principal, Pragati Academy, sex education has not been structured as a part of the curriculum. “In my school, I have a different take on sex education. What we do is involve the parents, teachers and students. We tell the students how the students can respect each other and also themselves. Find relevance for themselves besides extending the same courtesy to the other gender. All this is done during the health and wellness classes,” she said.