My First Experience Attending a Child Sexual Abuse Training

Two people, one man and a woman, were called on to the stage by the trainer, Uma Subramanian – Director Aarambh India and were told to impersonate a biology school teacher and brief the audience about human body and its parts. Of course, they pointed out to every part except what we call “private parts”.

The point Uma was trying to make was why the discomfort while talking or even mentioning the private parts and why we teach children that just those parts are private? Are other parts, except the genitals, public? Why don’t we teach children that their entire body is their own and no one has the right to touch it without their permission?

Personnel from different NGOs, social workers, lawyers and other members had gathered for the training at the Bright School Hall in Bhandup to know about child sexual abuse, its laws and safety of children.

It has been less than a month since I joined Prerana’s Aarambh Initiative but in that span I’ve learned a lot about child protection and the laws pertaining to the issue. I had never worked with a non-profit organization or initiative before, so this was a very new experience for me.

The training featured the nuances of child sexual abuse, the POCSO law, helping children identifying body parts, differentiating between safe touch, unsafe touch and confusing touch and what to do in case they find touching uncomfortable.

Uma also covered some of the most high profile child sexual abuse cases in India and also addressed some of the issues and challenges around POCSO on the ground. It was a big learning experience for everyone, including me, to know the perspective of everyone on the issue and you know it was an intense discussion when something as simple as “Who is a child?” got myriad responses.

There was a moment at the end of the training when Uma told the audience to stand up, close their eyes and picturize their first sexual encounter for a minute. After we opened our eyes, she asked if anyone remembered the entire details of the encounter. Uneasiness swept through the crowd and everyone was hesitant. “If as an adult, you cannot remember it or share the personal episode with others, how can you expect sexual abuse victims to share everything quickly and with all the details? Be patient with children,” came the reply.

I arrived at Aarambh India with almost no idea of what I should expect from my role. This is my first blog after working for almost a month and now after learning about the issue and reading on some of the most eye-opening case, I can see how I fit into the larger scheme of things.

It has been quite challenging but my colleagues make it simpler for me and I’m learning more about myself each passing day. One thing is for sure, this is completely different and hugely challenging than anything I had worked on before.