Key Highlights The ministry of women and child development is working on an e-dropbox that will let children report abuse

Officials said that simple language, pictures and icons will be used to ensure that even young children can use this facility

The project was inspired by Delhi Police's 'Operation Nirbheek'

NEW DELHI: An online facility, allowing children to complain about abuse in school or at home without divulging their identities, is on the anvil. The ministry of women and child development (WCD) is working on an e-dropbox that will let children complain about abuse, molestation or harassment in everyday situations in school, bus, tuition classes or at home.

Officials said that simple language, pictures and icons will be used to ensure that even young children can use this facility.

Speaking about the initiative, WCD minister Maneka Gandhi said, "This is another step in our fight against abuse and an attempt to increase the Laxman Rekha around children.'' The e-dropbox will be hosted on the website of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR). The icons and the response system are being designed by the commission.

The project was inspired by Delhi Police's 'Operation Nirbheek', under which complaint boxes were placed in different schools, allowing girls to anonymously complain about any abuse. Many of the complaints were converted into FIRs. They helped bring to light incidents of abuse at homes and schools that children were too scared or inhibited to speak about.

A 2007 government study found that more than 53% of children in India are subjected to sexual abuse, but most don't report the assault to anyone. The survey, carried out across 13 states and with a sample size of 12,447, revealed that 53.22% of children reported having faced one or more forms of sexual abuse, with Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Assam and Delhi reporting the highest percentage of such incidents. In 50% of the child abuse cases, the abusers were known to the child or were in a position of trust, and most children did not report the matter to anyone.

