It is not by chance, it is by the choices we make, that our future unfolds. This was the message that came through at the half-day interactive session conducted by Jagruti Committee, SJEC on An Awareness Programme for Youngsters on Crime in Society, held at Spoorthi Hall on 26th October 2017. Over 100 students from Engineering, Master of Computer Applications and Master of Business Administration disciplines, leaed about the importance of taking personal responsibility for choices and the consequences of poor choices, at the end of the programme.
The Programme started at 3:00 PM. Ms Olivia Sequeira, Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, was the Master of Ceremony of the function. Ms Chaithra U R, Assistant Professor Dept. of ECE welcomed the gathering. Ms Usha Mohan, Director – Bango Trust, Bengaluru enlightened the importance of creating awareness on crime, for youngsters.
Giving examples of the Bengaluru schoolgirl’s sexual abuse and other such crime incidents, Ms Usha Mohan tried to narrate the audience to stand and create awareness in crimes against women and children. The speaker described various crime incidents, which really left the audience in an ambient mode. The speaker tried to inform audience, to examine the differences between joking and harassment while helping students identify the effects of each on a victim. She emphasizes on strategies on how to handle harassment and the importance of bystanders. Ms Usha Mohan also gave a focus on Cyber bullying. i.e., increasingly, adolescents bully and harass others via computers and cell phones. She emphasizes the importance of a code of conduct as well as the concept of victim empathy in curtailing the rampant abuse by electronic media. The speaker also directed, to the use of digital technology and how students can protect themselves and their information while using the Inteet with a computer, phone, or gaming system. She also addressed social networking and the risks involved in using social media.
She also focused on sexual harassment and gave an awareness to identify personal safety resources and skills. The speaker also insisted an individual in identifying methods of reducing their risk of becoming a sexual assault victim. Ms Usha Mohan also suggested that there are available apps and it allows the victim to press an emergency button in mobile phones so that seeking assistance in case of an emergency is easier which, she claimed, a big step in ensuring security of women is.
The speaker also deliberated on party drugs, sexual assault, the use of alcohol, its effects and use as a weapon, and the use of pharmaceuticals as a means to commit sexual assault. She also discussed prevention methods and skills.
Youngsters are a sensitive and tender group and need to be dealt with better care and protection. They need time and need to be talked out with the help of love and care. It does not guarantee that no offending by youth will be considered or committed but reduces the risk to a minimal level.
She said that Stringent law enforcement, better judiciary setup can discourage youngsters from committing such crimes but why wait for others to better your world when you, yourself can take a step more and stop it from being. At the end of the session she took a pledge from the students for not to involve in any such crimes in future.
The session concluded at 5:00PM. Around 100 students from all the disciplines across the college had participated in the programme. The Jagruti committee Chairperson Ms Gayana M N and the committee members coordinated the programme.
