SAFETY NETWORK
Let’s work together to safeguard children
The safety network is a list of trusted and experienced, national and international organisations working on the issue. In India there are only a few organisations focusing solely on CSA. However there are many child rights organisations and groups who have initiated specific programs in response to various aspects of the issue. We are grateful to the organisations mentioned below for their contribution to the cause and this platform. We invite more organisations to join hands to make the safety network stronger.
If you are a network of individuals or a registered organization currently working on the issue and want to be part of the network, please fill the form below or write to us at info@aarambhindia.org.
Pratidhi is a collaborative society of Delhi Police and Association for Development (An NGO of Professional Social Workers), working for the welfare and rehabilitation of victims of crime. It is perhaps the first agency of its kind in the country that takes a holistic approach and caters for the long felt requirement of providing welfare services to crime victims like those of sexual abuse, fatal accidents, murder, suicide, and domestic violence.
Parivarthan Counselling, Training & Research Centre is nonprofit based in Bangalore with a institutional membership of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotheraphy. It provides training in the field of counselling and life skills to non-professionals and professionals. Their trained counsellors offer their services to children, adolescents, adults, couples and families. Their free telephonic helpline (080 65333323) provides free counselling by trained therapists. They conduct workshops for development and enhancement of individual, family, group and organizational functioning. Other services include outreach services for the marginalized, consultancy in all the above areas and research in the area of mental health.
Muskaan, an Aalochana Initiative Against Child Sexual Abuse has been working on creating awareness about CSA since 2000. Muskaan took up the issue of child sexual abuse because of widespread prevalence, denial and silence, taboos and stigma, long-term impact on the child, and inadequate legal system. They conduct awareness and training sessions for a diverse population. They also provide counselling support to children and families.
The Foundation has chosen to work in the area of CSA due to the prevalence of CSA and the stigma, self or socially inflicted, that survivors experience. Their vision is to ease discrimination practiced by the community towards survivors and the self discrimination that survivors experience. They aim to do this by working towards 1) The empowerment of communities to recognize and heal survivors through increased awareness 2) Providing a holistic rehabilitation program for survivors 3) Advocating for policy development
HAQ, Centre for Child Rights is a Delhi-based organization that works towards the recognition, promotion and protection of rights of all children. To carry forward its mandate, HAQ undertakes research and documentation. It is actively engaged in public education and advocacy on children’s rights. It not only provides information and referral service but also training and capacity building of all those working with children or on issues concerning them, and the children themselves. They have partnered with Consel to Secure Justice (CSJ) to work with government authorities, so children who suffer violent sexual assault have more effective access to criminal and restorative justice.
Forum Against Child Sexual Exploitation (FACSE) is a 12 year old network of individuals, professionals and organizations working to eliminate sexual exploitation and abuse of children. The forum is a direct outcome of the consensus that emerged from a Maharashtra level 4 day brain storming meeting on the issue in April 1996 in Mumbai. With this understanding and background FACSE was initiated with 3 broad objectives: 1. To create awareness about the issue of child sexual abuse among different target groups as well as the general public. 2. To lobby for necessary changes in the law. 3. to handle individual cases of Child Sexual abuse
Stop it Now is a US based organization working since 1992 to prevent the sexual abuse of children by mobilizing adults, families and communities to take actions that protect children before they are harmed. They provide support, information and resources to keep children safe and create healthier communities. They have an extensive resource centre suited for different groups on how to prevent children from sexual abuse. Earlier this year we partnered with StopItNow to adapt some of their guidebooks and tip sheets for parents, teachers and caregivers for India.
Enfold Proactive Health Trust, based in Bangalore, works towards building a social environment where each gender is equally valued and respected, and every child is safe. They create awareness through a comprehensive sexuality and personal safety education program. They work with young children to help them recognize, resist and report sexual abuse. They work with parents, teachers and communities to help them teach the children personal safety and deal effectively with the abuser. As part of the Collaborative Child Response Units, a hospital-based multidisciplinary approach to child abuse, they train all the stakeholders- medical personnel, counselors, social workers, police personnel and lawyers – in managing and caring for children reporting sexual abuse.
Counsel to Secure Justice provides survivors of sexual violence free legal support throughout criminal proceedings, from when they report the abuse to police till judgment. They work on the ground–at the police station, hospitals and courts–advising government authorities on the law, supporting clients and monitoring the progress of cases. They work with trustworthy partners to ensure clients and their families receive the care and support they need to begin healing. CSJ is partnering with HAQ: Centre for Child Rights to implement its first project in Delhi. HAQ and CSJ will work with government authorities, so children who suffer violent sexual assault have more effective access to criminal and restorative justice.
Children’s Rights in Goa (CRG) creates awareness about the rights of the child and is committed to protecting children from sexual abuse and all forms of exploitation. CRG has been conducting an intensive campaign in the northern coastal belt of Goa against tourism-related paedophilia for over a decade. They run a Child Resource Centre (CRC) at Mapusa where children receive livelihood training. They work on the implementation of the Goa Children’s Act. CRG assists victims in the Children’s Court and take up cases of child abuse referred by community members, schools, the police or any other agency. CRG also works with the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) in planning the rehabilitation of victims admitted to the government home for children in need of care and protection.
CHILDLINE India Foundation (CIF) is the nodal agency of the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development acting as the parent organisation for setting up, managing and monitoring the CHILDLINE 1098 service all over the country. CIF is the sole agency/body responsible for establishing the CHILDLINE service in the cities/districts of the country, monitoring of service delivery and finance, training, research and documentation, creating awareness, advocacy as well as resource generation for the service.
Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) The Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Command, part of the UK’s National Crime Agency works with child protection partners across the UK and overseas to identify the main threats to children, and coordinates activity against these threats to bring offenders to account. They protect children from harm online and offline, directly through operational activity and in partnership with local and international agencies. The CEOP Command’s ThinkUknow education programme, (www.thinkuknow.co.uk) is a dedicated portal of information on online safety for parents, teachers & children in the age group of 5 to 18 years.
The Centre for Child and the Law (CCL) was established on 1st April 1996, as a specialized Research Centre of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bangalore, with a view to further the vision of NLSIU to marry legal expertise with the social sciences to impact legal education and also to positively impact policy, law and practice on child rights. CCL NLSIU undertakes Research, Direct Field Action, Teaching, Training, Advocacy and Lobbying on a range of child rights issues. The core thrust areas are currently on the following themes: 1. Juvenile Justice and Child Protection. 2. Protection of Children from Sexual Offences. 3. Universalization of the Right to Equitable Quality School Education. 4. Justice to Children and Human Rights Institutions. 5. Right to Food
Butterflies is a Delhi-based organization that works with vulnerable groups of children. They educate and impart life skills to children so they can become self-reliant. They are active participants in national and international network that advocate and promote programmes and policies that safeguard the rights of children. They initiated the Delhi Child Rights Club. They run a short stay crisis centre, night shelters for homeless children and a night outreach program. Butterflies is the nodal agency for Childline in South Delhi. They also have a research advocacy and training wing.
Balprafulta works towards creating child friendly environment in BMC schools by providing training and counselling to the school functionaries and children. Their work is focused in Mumbai. Balprafulta is partner of Aarambh in the Mumbai Children’s Safety Network under which they have been trained on preventive and legal aspects of child sexual abuse in the areas that they work in.
Anyay Rahit Zindagi (ARZ) is a social work organization committed to combating trafficking of persons for the purpose of sexual abuse and commercial sexual exploitation in Goa. The organization works both with the victims of commercial sexual exploitation, and also against those who are perpetrators of this crime
Association of Promotion of Social Action (APSA) is a rights-based child-centered community development organisation in Bangalore. They work towards the development of the community through a systematic process of empowerment. In sexual abuse cases, APSA helps to file the police complaint, takes the children to the city court and arranges counselling with the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences if required. Under their Sexual Health Program APSA aims to provide a comprehensive set of materials that can be used and an intervention model that can be replicated by NGOs in South India to raise awareness of the importance of sexual health and diminish the taboo attached to such issues.
Arpan is a registered NGO based in Mumbai working on the issue of Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) with a team of dedicated and skilled professionals since the year 2006. Arpan works in Mumbai and Thane with a child centric model of intervention in the area of child sexual abuse (CSA) with a balanced emphasis on prevention and healing components. They train children, parents, NGOs, caregivers etc. in multiple settings. While the focus is on children, Arpan also understands the need for reaching out to adult survivors of child sexual abuse in order to support them in an adequate manner and prevent any further re-victimization as well as enable them to heal from the impact of child sexual abuse.
Apnalaya is an NGO strives to help children living in slums towards a better life through urban community development projects in Mumbai. Working with individuals, groups and communities, Apnalaya’s aim is to empower the disadvantaged to overcome the many social, political and economic barriers they face, and to help them access opportunities that lead to a better quality of life. Apnalaya is partner of Aarambh in the Mumbai Children’s Safety Network under which they have which they have been trained on preventive and legal aspects of child sexual abuse in the areas that they work in.
Action Pour Les Enfants (APLE)is a Cambodian NGO working since 2003, on combating Child Sexual Abuse and exploitation. APLE works in the areas of prevention of abuse, protection to victims of the crimes and they promote prosecution of perpetrators. Over the years APLE has gained a reputation for well-documented and professional investigations into the activities of child sex offenders and traffickers, be they local or foreign. In conjunction with its extensive experience in prevention activities, APLE’s work has helped rescue many child victims.
Aangan is a national child protection NGO that promotes safe communities for children with a focus on children in dangerous or difficult situations and environments. These are children imperilled by their exposure or vulnerability to isolation, neglect, violence, hazardous or exploitative work, early marriage, juvenile offending, trafficking and abuse. Aangan enables safe communities where children, adults and governments work together to prevent and respond to the harm that these children face.
Tulir – Centre for the Prevention and Healing of Child Sexual Abuse (CPHCSA) is a Chennai bsaed organisation that supports and participates in local, national and international efforts to promote and protect the rights of the child. They raise awareness on the issue and work towards improving policy and advancing practice to prevent and address cases of child sexual abuse with a special emphasis on the psycho-social well-being of children. They provide direct intervention services in the areas of prevention and healing of child sexual abuse and undertake research, documentation, and dissemination of information.
Stairway Foundation is a Philippine based non profit organisation, established in 1990, located in Puerto Galera, in the island of Oriental Mindoro. For close to 20 years, has helped hundreds of organizations that work with children at-risk there. Using theatre and three purpose-made animated films on incest, pedophilia and child-trafficking, SFI has touched hundreds of thousands of Filipino children. The movies, which use generically Asian faces for wide appeal, are accompanied by training materials and cartoon books that help the facilitator showing the videos to educate and warn children, carers and their communities. Two of the film animations have been translated into eight languages. In 2010 in partnership with the ADM Capital Foundation, Stairway created “Break the Silence” initiative in order to enhance the regional distribution and use of its film animations and to build an effective awareness and protection program through local organizations that are able to provide a first line of support for the children at risk of trafficking and abuse. Aarambh is an extension of the “Break the Silence” philosophy. Stairway Foundation has trained us on basic Child Sexual Abuse prevention modules, and we receive on-going resources and guidance for our work in India.
Society for Nutrition, Education & Health Action (SNEHA) is a Mumbai-based NGO which believes that investing in women’s health is essential to building viable urban communities. SNEHA targets four large public health areas – Maternal and Newborn Health, Child Health and Nutrition, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Prevention of Violence against Women and Children. SNEHA is a partner of Aarambh in the Mumbai Children’s Safety Network under which they have been trained on preventive and legal aspects of child sexual abuse in the areas that they work in.
RAHI Foundation is a feminist group based in New Delhi working since1996 to end incest/child sexual abuse (CSA) and address its long-term impact on adult women survivors. It is India’s first incest/CSA response organization and the only one focusing exclusively on adult women survivors and their unique recovery needs. RAHI’s pioneering work includes support and recovery through the distinctive RAHI Model of Healing. RAHI works with survivors and their families, school children, college students, social workers, mental health professionals, parents, teachers and other communities in Delhi and other parts of India.
RAHAT is collaboration between the Department of Women and Child Development Maharashtra and Majlis Legal Centre to offer support to victims of sexual violence through a convergence model. RAHAT helps survivor’s access services they are entitled to such as medical, trauma counseling, shelter and compensation. It also helps them negotiate the criminal justice system during investigation and trial. The aim is to evolve protocols and guidelines for all stakeholders to ensure better implementation of laws dealing with sexual crimes. RAHAT has been instrumental in drafting the Manodhariya Scheme in Maharashtra, a compensation and rehabilitation scheme for survivors of sexual violence and acid attack.
Navnirman Samaj Vikas Kendra is a grass root level organization working in Malvani slums of Malad, a western suburb in Mumbai. NSVK’s objective is to work with families through income generation programmes and health initiatives. NSVK is a partner of Aarambh in the Mumbai Children’s Safety Network under which they have been trained on preventive and legal aspects of child sexual abuse in the areas that they work in.
Talking About Reproductive and Sexual Health Issues (TARSHI) is a Delhi based organization that works to address all people, especially women and young people through its various programmes. TARSHI is one of the few NGOs in India that works on sexuality, without restricting it to a disease-prevention, violence against women or sexual minorities’ framework, but rather from an affirmative and rights-based approach. They run a bilingual 24×7, all India Infoline (09266021333) which provides information on a range of topics related to sexual and reproductive health. They conduct training on helpline counselling skills, on sexuality and rights related issues tailor-made to suit the needs of organisations working in the field. Their publications on sexuality and rights related issues, in both English and Hindi, are for diverse audiences including young people, professionals in the field, as well as the general public. TARSHI has conducted various public education and advocacy activities to create a broader public understanding about women’s rights, sexuality, gender and violence through public events, publications, campaigns and sessions in schools and colleges.
Centre for Enquiry Into Health and Allied Themes (CEHAT) is the research centre of Anusandhan Trust. They are involved in research, training, service and advocacy on health and allied themes. Socially relevant and rigorous academic health research and health action at CEHAT is for the well-being of the disadvantaged masses, for strengthening people’s health movements and for realising right to health and health care. CEHAT acts as an interface between progressive people’s movements and academia.
Rihaee is a Vasai (Thane) based registered not–for–profit organisation established in April 2013. The organization works on the issue of sexual abuse of children in a holistic manner with the current emphasis on prevention. Rihaee provides life skills training and awareness to children and adults on the issue.
Youth Council for Development Alternatives (YCDA) is an Odisha based NGO. Since 1993 they work with the objective to bring sustainable change in the socio-economic conditions of disadvantaged groups. The major thrust of the organization is to initiate field-based intervention focusing on the issues of primary education, community health care and livelihood support system. In macro level, networking with like-minded groups, organizing training, workshops to highlight various issues and undertake advocacy measures are the key interventions. They recently launched a statewide campaign in Odisha against Child Sexual Abuse, Aarambh is providing YCDA with technical and resource support for the campaign.
Bodhini is an Kochi, Kerala based NGO. Beginning its journey as an initiative of the Rotary Club of Kochi metropolis in 2014, it has now grown into a movement against child abuse and violence against women. It is actively involved in providing education, rehabilitation, legal aid, medical support related to victims/survivors of child abuse and violence against women. provide career guidance, vocational training, educational assistance, medical and psychological support, under the broader umbrella of the rehabilitation and affirmative action; to the children in the homes. They run an aggregated help line service that provides timely and necessary help and advice to people with narcotic addictions, social media and cyber crime victims, women in domestic violence situations and sufferers of depression. They actively encourage the preventive course of action by conducting seminars in schools on body safety and cyber crime prevention. The legal team provides provides free legal services to juveniles in conflict with the law and also provides them with vocational training and psychological assistance.
