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Two weeks ago, a 10-year-old allegedly groped a woman walking down a road in BTM Layout. Though the woman chose not to register an FIR, it left her traumatised, she explained through a reel on Instagram.
Instances of minors exhibiting inappropriate behaviour are on the rise, say psychologists. They blame it on unrestricted access to the Internet, and exposure to films and music that objectify women.
Child psychologist Sonal Patel condemns the behaviour but says that such children should be treated with patience, rather than being judged.
“We must listen to them, show them empathy and care, instead of interrogating them,” she says. “Maybe he lives in an environment where such behaviour is considered normal. The adults in his life have probably not taught him what is wrong and right,” she adds.
She believes children should be given the space and tools to communicate their emotions better. “When emotions are expressed through actions, that is when it becomes a problem,” she explains.
Unrestricted phone access
Psychotherapist Kala Balasubramanian clarifies that though science says kids are naturally curious about bodies at a certain age, it does not result in molestation. “This is not normal behaviour from a 10-year-old. While exhibiting sexual behaviour at such an age is problematic in itself, the child has also invaded someone’s personal space without consent. The concept of consent needs to be taught to children,” she explains. Objectification of women is rampant on social media, movies and music. Children consume such content unsupervised and believe it is acceptable to treat women without respect, she states.
Kids also have unrestricted access to mobile devices. “I get calls from parents to offer counselling for their children, some who are as young as three. Typically, they complain that they are addicted to their phones,” she says.
She recalls the Nirbhaya case of 2012. “There was a juvenile involved in that case too. One can only assume that he started exhibiting such tendencies by molesting women before it led to rape,” Kala says.
‘Teach them boundaries’
If one sees a child behaving inappropriately, it is their responsibility to correct them. “This should be done at the family level, school level, and the community level. The media also needs to take a closer look at their role in it,” she notes.
Sunil John, a counsellor with over 15 years of experience, points out that kids by nature, do not understand boundaries and need to be taught. “Most children today are being raised in an environment where there are no restrictions and think there are no consequences for their actions. They need to understand that they cannot get away with everything. Parents must let them face the consequences, by taking away a toy, their mobile device, or by any other way they feel is appropriate,” John says.
According to Shashi Kumar, general secretary of Associated Management of English Medium Schools in Karnataka, behavioural issues are posing a challenge for teachers across schools in Bengaluru. “Though The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) and Juvenile Justice (JJ) have offered protection for children, they have also given them unconditional rights. The child rights commissioner holds discussions with students about the way they are being treated by teachers. Some students even write letters complaining about being mistreated by teachers who were merely disciplining them. Teachers have also been prosecuted due to such letters,” he reveals.
What happened
NehaBiswal, a social media influencer, accused a 10-year-old boy of groping her while she was walking down a road recording a video for her Instagram account. Her screams drew the attention of passersby and the cops were called. The bicycle bound perpetrator was taken to the police station and reprimanded. But the victim decided against filing an FIR.“I don’t want to ruin his future but I do want him to be caught and be given some kind of a warning,” she said in a video.