# Awareness About the Protection of Children From Sexual Offences Act Among Healthcare Professionals and Their Role in the Care of Child Sexual Abuse Victims

## TL;DR

This study finds that healthcare professionals in India lack knowledge and proper practices regarding the POCSO Act for protecting children from sexual abuse.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into the gaps in knowledge and practice of the POCSO Act among healthcare professionals in Eastern India.

## Key findings

- Over 60% of participants lacked knowledge about key aspects of the POCSO Act, such as consent age and compensation conditions.
- More than 90% of participants did not follow proper procedures for handling CSA cases, like providing first aid or collecting evidence.
- Despite poor knowledge and practice, the attitude of healthcare professionals towards CSA victims was generally satisfactory.

## Abstract

Introduction: Child sexual abuse (CSA) is prevalent worldwide. Many medical professionals feel uncomfortable or lack the skills required to manage cases of sexual abuse.

Objectives: To assess the extent of knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) regarding the Protection of Children From Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act 2012 amongst healthcare professionals.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary care teaching hospital in Eastern India. After pre-testing, medical professionals were administered a questionnaire containing sections on knowledge, attitude, and practice, including healthcare workers' role in managing CSA victims. Statistical analysis was done using STATA software.

Results: Out of a total of 403 medical professionals who participated, in the knowledge category, >60% did not know the age for obtaining consent from the child, the organization interested in monitoring and implementing the act, the conditions when compensation should be awarded to the child, and the punishment if the medical professional fails to report the case under the act. In the practice category, >90% did not do the following: provide first aid to the child before asking questions related to CSA, estimate the age of the child, hand over the evidence collected after examination to the parents or caregivers, follow up with the child, or provide a medical certificate to the parents or caregivers when coming across a child with CSA. The attitude parameters were satisfactory.

Conclusions: The present study showed that the knowledge and practice of the POCSO Act amongst medical professionals was highly unsatisfactory. Periodic training of medical professionals and strengthening the legislature is the need of the hour.