Children being weak, gentle and meek should be protected from the world of criminals, shady people, and negative people and so on. These vulnerable kids fall prey to the predators of child abuse, child trafficking, child pornography etc. Sex education today is both timely and apt as the importance of sex education cannot be overemphasized. Unfortunately, we do not take sex education seriously because there exists a huge communication gap between the political leadership and the scientific community. Schools are ideal places where students can get answers to basic questions on sex. With teenage pregnancies and abortions on the rise, and an increase in the number of those affected by AIDS, sex education for children is a must. Because of the conservative culture that exists in our society, children find it difficult to discuss sex with their parents or teachers. Due to lack of information and the cultural barrier, many of them become easy prey of pedophiles. It is necessary to prevent children from learning from bad peers and obscene books about sex. A holistic approach should be adapted to sex education by making available standard textbooks on the internet for the middleclass children also. Banning pornography is not a solution. Sex education would help students develop personal values and understand interpersonal relationships as they explore their own sexuality. When sexual abuse comes from all quarter’s viz. relatives, colleagues and strangers, it is mandatory to teach the children how to overcome and protect themselves from such contingencies than about sex.
There is also an urgent need to keep the young informed of the measures to protect themselves against sexual exploitation. Effective counseling as an inclusive aspect in schools will lead to the overall wellbeing and healthy development of the child. Participatory sex education will provide the impetus for discussion and discourage prejudices. Academicians and policymakers should evolve a syllabus that is relevant to the changing times. The hesitation to discuss sex in open classrooms can be overcome if women teachers teach girls and male teachers educate boys. Other schools in the city should make sex education part of the curriculum to avoid such misinformation and restrict child abuse. There must be a check on their activities by the parents while using net. They must also be made aware of the pros and cons of the high tech modern world and social media. It is important to develop an understanding of the problem so that laws are made and implemented to curb child pornography and the rights are given to children are actually practiced. The Indian cyber law needs to be amended and made more effective to curb access, use, transmission and publishing of porn. Also, cyber education and etiquette need to be inculcated in school curriculum to sensitize children about the huge porn content available and how they should protect themselves from it. People should be educated to note the behavioural changes of the children and find out the reasons for abuses to save the child from trauma which may be prolonged. Sex education as a part of curriculum will create awareness and a healthier India.
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
