Among the most disturbing trends that stand out in the National Crime Records Bureau’s latest data release is the rise of crimes against children—by 5.9 percent between 2023 and 2024. Nationwide, 1,87,702 cases of crimes against children were registered in 2024, up from 1,77,335 in 2023 and 1,62,449 in 2022, indicating a steady rise over three years. Though the NCRB data shows a 6 percent decline in cognisable offences overall, among the causes for concern is also a rise in crimes committed by juveniles—up 11.2 percent to 34,878 registered cases in 2024.
While the numbers are alarming given that they concern the most vulnerable section of our society, getting a clearer perspective on them would require an understanding of some recent changes—including reclassification of laws regarding crimes against children, improved awareness about them and evolution of the penal framework from police stations to special courts. Under Section 19 of the POCSO Act, 2012, it is mandatory to report sexual offences against a child to a special juvenile police unit or local police. The reporting of such cases and promptness of police action have improved in compliance with the Supreme Court’s guidelines. Therefore, the increase in number of police complaints under POCSO partly refl ects the systemic reaction rather than only the victimisation of more children. It has been noted that two consequential laws—Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 and POCSO—often overlap, with child marriage cases also getting registered under POCSO.
At the same time, it’s also true that the factors affecting children’s vulnerability have multiplied manifold in recent years—including collapse of the family as a cohesive unit, lack of appropriate adult guidance, urbanisation and possible dislocation, unregulated exposure to social media, loneliness, and heightened socio-economic and cultural fragility. The pressure is such that while more children are falling victims to heinous crimes, others are taking the law in their hands. For the sake of the nation’s future, both these numbers need deeper understanding along with the effect of school drop-outs and the robustness of follow-up mechanisms dealing with children who have faced violence. While corrective steps can turn the tide, it needs to be a whole-of-nation effort.
