Legal Awareness of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act Among School Teachers: A Multi-centre Cross-sectional Study
Deva Pon Pushpam I, Suman Vashist, Frank J.C.Background:
The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, constitutes the principal statutory framework in India for protecting children from sexual abuse. School teachers occupy a pivotal role in the early identification, reporting, and prevention of child sexual abuse; however, evidence regarding their knowledge of POCSO provisions in Jammu and Kashmir is limited. This study evaluates teachers’ legal awareness to inform interventions aimed at strengthening child-protection practices within schools.
Objectives:
The objectives were to assess the level of awareness of the POCSO Act among school teachers and to determine the association between awareness and selected socio-demographic variables.
Methods:
A multi-centre cross-sectional study was undertaken among 90 teachers across four schools in Bhalwal Block, Jammu, employing total enumerative sampling. Data collection utilised a structured 30-item questionnaire measuring knowledge of POCSO provisions.
Results:
Among the 90 participants, 41 (45.6%) demonstrated average awareness of the POCSO Act, 25 (27.8%) had below-average awareness, and 24 (26.7%) exhibited above-average awareness. Chi-square analysis identified years of teaching experience and gender as significantly associated with awareness level (
Conclusion:
These findings underscore the need for systematic in-service education and structured legal literacy initiatives to enhance teachers’ capacity for identifying, responding to, and reporting child sexual abuse in school settings.