POCSO E-Box, the Paradigm Shift

This is an online child centric and illustrative complaint box for reporting child sexual abuse – CSA. The POCSO e-Box was launched by the (MWCD) Minister for Women and Child Development, Govt. of India http://www.wcd.nic.in/ and National Commission of Protection of Child Rights – NCPCR

http://ncpcr.gov.in/ in 2016. Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) e-Box is an online complaint management system for easy and direct reporting of sexual offences against children and timely action against the offenders under the POCSO Act, 2012. http://wcd.nic.in/sites/default/files/childprotection31072012.pdf. The box can be used for reporting the abuse by anyone i.e. a victim (minor) or an adult/ minor on behalf of the victim. It is a paradigm shift as now a minor is no longer dependent on any adult to register a complaint of abuse.  The E-Box and govt. child helpline phone numbers like 1098 are strongly advocated and explained as a safety net in all the CACA safety workbook series and parent teacher resource booklet. Further it would be worth to mention here the illustrations in the box clearly reflect the fact findings of various surveys/ researches that a perpetrator can be anybody from young to old; from any profession; religion; from a position of trust/ authority; even a family member and the abuse can happen anywhere.