Kids' safety 101: Essential lessons for parents to ensure a safer tomorrow

Hindustan Times

14-05-2025

Child safety needs constant vigilance and open communication. In an interview with HT Lifestyle, advocate Noopur Singhal, founder of सshaktaम् Mindz, shared, 'Most abuse comes from people children know, so parents must be alert to warning signs and understand child protection laws like POSCO. Empowering children through open dialogue, teaching them about 'good touch/bad touch', being friends with your kid and creating safe spaces are crucial.'
With India becoming the digital first economy, cyber crimes against children are getting bigger and severe by the day. According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 1,823 cases have been discovered in the year 2022, a significant increase from 1,377 cases in 2021.
Advocate Noopur Singhal revealed, 'These crimes include 1,171 cases of cyber pornography, 15 cases of cyberbullying and stalking, and 416 other cyber crimes. On the internet, parents should be aware of what is going on and teach their children to be safe online. Parents should educate their children with the safe usage habits on the internet and be mindful of dangers online.'
Building a relation between parents and children, through which kids could open up the issues they had to face; this is much more important to us. Noopur said, 'Schools and communities need to be involved in making safe zones. We will join hands and create a globe in which all the children raise their age safely from abuse or any online risk. Education is necessary, increasing awareness and strict actions help in keeping them safe.'
According to Kirti Sharma, co-CEO at Crimson Schools, child safety in schools has five essential components — infrastructure security, health and hygiene, psycho-social well-being, responsible staff and structured monitoring.
She said, 'Strong infrastructure ensures well-maintained buildings, fire safety, and secure transportation. Health and hygiene demand clean water, sanitation, menstrual health support, and disease prevention.'
Kirti explained, 'Psycho-social well-being involves mental health resources, anti-bullying policies and abuse prevention, ensuring that students feel protected physically and emotionally. Teachers and staff must be trained in child protection, emergency response, and fostering a safe environment.'
It is also important to move with the times and update safety mechanisms in campus and on school buses. Kirti Sharma elaborated, 'For example, digital monitoring, awareness programs, enhanced vigilance and strict policies to prevent online exploitation and abuse are now imperative for cyber safety. With rising concerns over emergencies — be it air pollution, natural disasters, security threats, or digital risks — schools must move beyond compliance to active vigilance.'
She encouraged implementing legal frameworks and said, 'Staff background checks and grievance mechanisms to be a priority to prevent abuse, discrimination and negligence. Safety is not just a policy but a continuous commitment. From secure infrastructure to digital vigilance to reliable transport, every stakeholder plays a crucial role in ensuring a safe learning environment. Schools must go beyond compliance, embracing proactive measures in health, security and cyber safety to protect every child — because safety is the foundation of education.'