Mangaluru: St Peter’s Higher Primary School, Kottara Mangaluru and Mangaluru Child Line 1098, in association with Department of Mass Communication and Media Studies, St Aloysius College organized an awareness programme on ‘Child Sexual Abuse’ for the students at Peter’s Higher Primary School, on March 31, 2016.
The event was focused on building awareness and challenging each child what to do when they face certain issues in life as they grow.

Yogish Malligemaadu, City Co-coordinator, Mangaluru Child line Dakshina Kannada addressed the gathering.

Children were informed about child sexual abuse and issues, self-protection techniques, what safe and unsafe touch is, what personal space is, how to protect themselves, and what they have to do in situations where they are into child sexual abuse.

The session included activities, which helped them understand the situation and child safety tips. The helpline committee screened a Komal Video on Child Sexual Abuse.

Reema Shetty, Councellor, Father Mullers, Mangaluru, took a separation session for the 6th and 7th standard girls.

As the children were not comfortable with the word ‘sexual’, to divert the minds of children questions about the meaning of abuse was asked. Later they created awareness about sexual abuse. Through an interactive session Reema did a body mapping. Social proximity circle was done where in children meet different people at different time. So who are safe to them and who are not, that was identified. Various cases were given to the students for discussion and explained what can be done in those situations.

Children clarified about when does such things happen, whom to approach, how they can get help, and who will come to their rescue during those situations.

Patricia Lobo, Headmistress of St peter’s Higher Primary School was present at the event. RJ Rakshitha of Big FM, spoke about the need of creating awareness on Child Sexual Abuse.