Table of Content
Module 1: Foundations of Child Protection in India
- Historical context and pre-POCSO legal gaps
- Constitutional basis and UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)
- Overview of India's child protection ecosystem (ICPS, JJ Act linkage, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao)
- Guiding principles: best interest of the child, gender neutrality, child-friendly process
Module 2: POCSO Act, 2012 — Structure, Definitions & Scope
- Objectives and scope of the Act
- Definition of "child" and gender-neutral application
- Key definitions: sexual assault, sexual harassment, penetrative assault
- Applicability across institutions, online spaces, and family settings
Module 3: Classification of Offences and Punishments
- Penetrative sexual assault and aggravated penetrative sexual assault
- Sexual assault and aggravated sexual assault
- Sexual harassment under the Act
- Use of a child for pornographic purposes
- Punishment framework and aggravating circumstances
Module 4: The 2019 Amendment and Enhanced Protections
- Rationale for the 2019 amendment
- Enhanced punishment provisions
- Expanded definition of child pornography
- Impact on institutional liability
Module 5: POCSO Rules, 2020
- Procedural rules for reporting and investigation
- Emergency medical care obligations
- Victim compensation framework
- Role of Child Welfare Committees under the Rules
Module 6: Mandatory Reporting Obligations
- Who is legally obligated to report
- Reporting timelines and procedures
- Consequences of failure to report
- Institutional liability and safe-reporting culture
Module 7: Child-Friendly Legal Procedures
- Role of Special Juvenile Police Units (SJPU)
- Statement recording safeguards
- Special Courts and in-camera trial procedures
- Support persons and victim assistance mechanisms
Module 8: Role of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and Support Systems
- Composition and mandate of the CWC
- Coordination between CWC, police, and Special Courts
- One-Stop-Centres and support-person deployment
- Referral pathways for institutions
Module 9: Institutional Compliance & Response Framework
- Constituting a Child Protection Committee
- Drafting an institutional child safeguarding policy
- Staff background verification and hiring safeguards
- Grievance redressal mechanism design and interface with POSH/Internal Committee structures
- Recognising signs and receiving a disclosure appropriately
- Immediate safeguarding steps and coordination with authorities
Module 10: BNSS/BNS Alignment and Procedural Shifts (2024)
- Transition from CrPC/IPC to BNSS/BNS
- Impact on POCSO case procedures
- Practical implications for institutional compliance teams
Module 11: POCSO (Amendment) Bill, 2024 and Emerging Reforms
- 24-hour reporting mandate
- Victim-centric procedural reforms
- Structured compensation reforms
- Current legislative status and what institutions should prepare for
Module 12: Digital and Online Child Safety
- Child pornography and digital-content provisions
- Deepfake and AI-generated content concerns
- Platform and ed-tech provider obligations
- Safe technology use policies for institutions
Module 13: Principles of Training Design & Facilitation
- Principles of effective institutional training design for sensitive compliance topics
- Structuring a staff induction/training session
- Facilitation techniques: managing discomfort, resistance, and disengagement
- Using case studies and scenarios responsibly in a training room
Module 14: Audience-Specific Delivery
- Training school staff and educators
- Training corporate/HR audiences
- Training NGO and field-based staff
- Training healthcare and paediatric staff
Module 15: Managing Disclosures and Distress in a Training Setting
- Recognising when a participant is personally affected during a session
- In-session response protocol: what to say, what not to say, when to pause
- Referral pathways for a participant, separate from institutional case referral
- Trainer self-care and debrief practices after difficult sessions
Module 16: Scope, Limits & Legal Protection of the Trainer Role
- What a trainer is and is not authorised to do (not a lawyer, not an investigator)
- Where the trainer's role ends and referral to legal/CWC/police begins
- Documentation practices that protect the trainer from liability
- Maintaining professional boundaries with training participants
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