12 Kolkata: The glut of sexual assault cases, including the rape and murder of a young R G Kar doctor, has made it imperative to sensitise and educate kids, especially boys, about private parts, good and bad touch, and how to behave with women. It is also important to spread awareness and protest against physical and mental torture and abuse, felt the panellists at a discussion and workshop on sexual violence, atrocities on women and how to resist them on Friday.
The programme was organised by Salt Lake Institute of Personality Development and Value Education (SIPDAVE) at Rabindra Okakura Bhavan on Friday.
Psychiatrist Debanjan Pan felt that it is of utmost importance to sensitise young boys from a tender age of four years. "Parents should make them aware of good and bad touch as well as sensitise them about their private parts. When the child enters the adolescent stage, parents must discuss with them the reproductive system," Pan shared.
Consultant psychologist Sreyashee Chatterjee gave an example of an ad film with the tagline ‘Mard ko dard nahi hota' where a young boy was told to suppress his feelings and not cry after he got hurt since he is a male child. "The way boys are taught to be rough and tough, harden their emotions and feelings by family members often gives rise to a complicated psychology. They start viewing women as weak," Chatterjee said.
According to Bidhannagar Police ACP Sambiti Chakrabarty, it is essential to teach kids how to protest. "We come across families where kids are victims of sexual violence and harassment but they are told not to disclose anything. This tendency of suppressing the voices robs them of the courage to protest," said Chakrabarty.
SIDAVE founder Partha Chattopadhyay, in his inaugural address, focused on the ingrained patriarchy in our society and the stereotype of women as inferiors. Among the other speakers were psychiatrist Amar Nath Mullick, headmaster from a Malda school Harishami Das and advocate Ramyani Ghoshal.