In a set of guidelines circulated to States, the ministry speaks about educating children to differentiate between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ touch.“Eve teasing and sexual abuse are becoming serious issues as incidents get reported from schools and nearby places. Children should be taught early to differentiate between good touch and bad touch, and encouraged to speak out at the first instance,” it says.
The MHRD explained that principals and teachers need to play a significant role in the prevention of inappropriate physical touch, emotional interference, sexual abuse and neglect.“It vests totally with the teachers to ensure that the schools are safe in this regard. The head teacher/principal and teachers must ensure that all parts of the school are accessible to everyone and that there are no scheduled/isolated areas,” the ministry advised. It also asks that teachers be sensitized to detect signs in a child which may require investigating.The centre has also asked educational institutions to inquire into a student’s regular absence as incidents of children falling into the drug habit have been recorded.
