“A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF POCSO ACT: ENSURING PROTECTION AGAINST CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE IN INDIA”

AUTHOR – SHREYA DIXIT, AMITY LAW SCHOOL, NOIDA

BEST CITATION – SHREYA DIXIT, “A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF POCSO ACT: ENSURING PROTECTION AGAINST CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE IN INDIA”, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 5 (10) OF 2025, PG. 684-691, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344.

Abstract

The Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act, 2012, represents a pivotal milestone in India’s legislative framework for safeguarding children against sexual abuse and exploitation. This study critically analyses the Act’s legislative objective, its all-encompassing provisions, and the social-legal challenges in executing it. The POCSO Act mandates timely trials via Special Courts, ensures procedures that are sensitive to victims, and categorizes offenses to address a wide spectrum of child sexual abuse. The Act faces issues such as underreporting, delays in the judiciary, and minimal public knowledge, despite its solid framework. This report emphasizes opportunities for policy enhancement and modification by comparing the POCSO Act with international child protection standards. The Act can serve as a model for child protection in developing nations by addressing these deficiencies. To effectively combat child sexual abuse, the study emphasizes the need for an all-encompassing approach that combines administrative, sociological, and legal changes.

Keywords: POCSO Act, child sexual abuse, legal framework, judicial reforms, child protection, societal impact, mandatory reporting, victim-sensitive procedures.