Child Protection

Research & Advocacy

Our work on issues related to child protection was initiated with the Centre’s inception in 1996. Our objective is to:

• Provide psycho-socio legal services to children produced before authorities under the Juvenile Justice Act;
• Contribute to law and policy reform;
• Capacity building and awareness generation; and
• Empowerment of children and their families through direct engagement or through non-governmental bodies.

Our involvement in the process of amendment of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act has picked up momentum. Since then, the team has undertaken a range of activities in juvenile justice, independent human rights institutions, child trafficking, child marriage, child sexual abuse and children with disabilities.

Juvenile Justice:

Our contribution to the law making process intensified and a large quantum of our work during the process of formulation of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (JJA, 2015), was focused on preventing inclusion of transfer system where certain children could be tried as adults in the new legislation. Submissions on developmental needs of children and adolescents in India were prepared and submitted to the Parliamentary Standing Committee based on the consultations with mental health professionals, child rights organisations including children. With the same objective, a national consultation on Juveniles and Serious crimes under the JJ Act was held in Delhi in collaboration with National Commission for Protection of Child Rights and the National Law University, Delhi. The team has also engaged with the rule making process at the State level in Karnataka.

POCSO & Child Labour:

We have contributed extensively towards the formulation and reform of law and policy in other child rights areas including child sexual abuse and child labour. We submitted a draft policy and programme of action on Child and Adolescent Labour to the Government of Karnataka in 2017. We were also a part of the working group constituted by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) for drafting of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Bill, 2010.

This gave us an opportunity to contribute to the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012. We have responded to calls from Ministries and Department of Women and Child Development, Government of Karnataka for comments on proposed legislations, policies & programmes and amendments to existing legislations in the area of child protection. We have worked with a number of States and assisted them in drafting rules under the Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act.

Extension Office

Through the extension office located within the premises of the Observation Home for Boys in Madivala, Bangalore, we provide psycho-socio legal services to children in conflict with law on a regular basis. A legal aid cell has been set up to provide legal services to children and families appearing before the Juvenile Justice Boards. We have also engaged closely with the Child Welfare Committees and provided legal opinion in a number of cases involving children in need of care and protection.

Training and Capacity Building

We have conducted training and capacity building programmes for government functionaries, child welfare committees, juvenile justice boards, child rights commissions and judicial officers in several states. Programmes on child protection issues have also been conducted for police, school children, teachers, anganwadi workers, NGO staff, quasi- judicial bodies, child rights commission and government officials in Karnataka.