Union Territory Child Protection Society (UTCPS) under the aegis of Department of Social Welfare, Women & Child Development, Chandigarh Administration, has organized a 03 Day Training and Capacity Building Program from 28th February–1st March 2024 at U.T., Guest House, Sector -6, Chandigarh, on Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act 2012 and Working Issues of Child Sexual Abuse in collaboration with NIMHANS under its project SAMVAD - a National Initiative supported by Ministry of Women & Child Development, GOI, with an aim to strengthen & implement the mandate of children protection and welfare issues across the country. 

 The training program was inaugurated in the presence of Mrs. Palika Arora, Member Secretary, UTCPS-cum-Director Social Welfare, Women & Child Development, Chandigarh Administration, Ms. Shipra Bansal, Chairperson, CCPCR; Ms. Sita Devi, DSP Women & Child Support Unit; Ms. Bisman Ahuja, Program Manager; Dr. Gurpreet Kaur Chairperson, Child Welfare Committee (CWC); Members of Juvenile Justice Board & CWC; Ms. Kritii Tikku, Ms. Nandita Krishna and Mr. Subham Bohra, Project Officers, SAMVAD. Ms. Palika Arora, Member Secretary, UTCPS-cum-Director Social Welfare stressed upon the role of each stakeholder in ensuring welfare of children and effective implementation of POCSO Act. She emphasized on recognizing the dynamics of Child Sexual Abuse including Psycho-social perspective and to understand how children perceive and internalize their abuse & trauma experiences which might affect the process of evidence gathering and statement recording. 

 The multi-stakeholder training was attended by approximately 45 participants i.e. Special Juvenile Police Officers (including SHO’S and SI’s), POCSO Consultant, Members of Juvenile Justice Board, Chairperson & Member of Child Welfare Committee, Staff of District Child Protection Unit and Child Helpline-1098. The first day of the training covered understanding as to how a child perceives and internalize abuse and trauma experiences, responding to children’s fear and confusions alongwith acceptance & non-judgmental attitude. 

The next two days will focus on introduction to Child Sexual Abuse legislation/POCSO Act, child witness competencies and methods & skills to elicit the child’s statement. The purpose of this training program is to enhance the skills and equip the primary stakeholders with in-depth knowledge pertaining to the acknowledgement of emotions of children, the adversarial system, child witness competencies, eliciting evidence and key provisions of POCSO Act.