Course

Unit 1

Conceptual Clarity and Profile of Children – Definitions of child and vulnerable child (UNCRC, JJ Act, 2015), Intersectionality in child vulnerability: gender, caste, class, ability, and region, National and regional disparities in child development, Digital child and online vulnerabilities (cyberbullying, grooming, surveillance), Emerging profiles: children of refugees, climate migrants, and urban poor.

Unit 2

Situation Analysis of Vulnerable Children – Children in need of care & protection; children in conflict/contact with law, Children in street situations and exploitative labour conditions, Children affected by conflict, displacement, disasters, and pandemics (e.g., COVID-19), Children affected by HIV/AIDS, substance use, and parental incarceration, Climate change and child vulnerability: water stress, food insecurity, education loss.

Unit 3

Problems of Children in Family – Changing family structures: single-parent households, LGBTQ+ parenthood, urban-rural family dynamics, Parenting styles and child mental health, Impact of domestic violence and economic stressors on children, Peer influence and psychosocial development in the digital era, Children of migrant and seasonal workers: education, nutrition, identity documentation

Unit 4

Children Without Families and Under Institutional Care – Status of children in child care institutions (CCIs) and foster care systems, Alternative care models: kinship care, community-based care, family strengthening, Rights and mental health of children in institutions Role of CWCs, DCPUs, NGOs, and child protection professionals, Deinstitutionalization and rehabilitation: global and Indian perspectives.

Unit 5

Child and Violence Against Children – Human trafficking, sexual exploitation, child pornography (including online), Child marriage, honour-based violence, and new forms of coercion (social media threats), Child soldiers, conflict-zone children, and children of terrorist detainees, AI-based and algorithmic harm to children (deepfakes, exposure to harmful content) Legal and psychological interventions for survivors.

Text Books / References

Text Books

1. BajpaiAsha (2003) Child Rights in India: Law, Policy and Practice, Oxford University
2. MaharukhAdenwalla,(2006) Child Protection and Juvenile Justice System for Juvenile in Conflict with Law, Childline India Foundation,
3. NanjundaD C (2008) Child Labour and Human Rights: A New Delhi, Kalpaz Publication
4. NIPCCD,(2002) The Child in India – A statistical Profile, NIPCCD, New Delhi. UNICEF Publication
5. Ruzbeh Bharucha, (2008) My God is a Juvenile Delinquent, Sainathan Communication, New Delhi.

Suggested Reading:

1. UNICEF(2006) Guidelines on the Protection of Child Victims of Trafficking, Unicef Technical Notes, Child Trafficking and Migration, New York, UNICEF Head
2. HAQ’s short paper on ‘Dealing with Children in Conflict with Law- Role of Police’
3. HAQ’s short paper on ‘Children’s Right to be Heard in Judicial Processes’
4. Govt of India (1998) Plan of Action on Child Trafficking
5. unicef.org
6. https://wcd.gov.in/

This course aims to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the concept of vulnerability among children. It explores various challenges faced by children in different settings within families, in communities, and under institutional care. It also examines the role of the State and civil society in child protection, with a special focus on the legal, policy, and administrative frameworks at national and international levels. New areas such as digital vulnerability, climate change impacts, and intersectionality are introduced to reflect the evolving landscape of child vulnerability.

Course Objectives:

1. Attain conceptual clarity on childhood and child vulnerability.
2. Understand the contemporary situation of vulnerable children across contexts.
3. Analyze the impact of changing family structures on children.
4. Examine the conditions and needs of children under institutional and alternative care.
5. Develop insight into emerging forms of violence and maltreatment, including online and digital threats.

Course outcomes:

1. Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of classical and contemporary child vulnerability contexts.
2. Critically examine family-based and institutional child protection systems.
3. Understand and analyze the problems faced by children in families.
4. Evaluate theproblems of Children Without Families and under institutional care
5. Analyze child maltreatment and emerging issues in violence against children aiming at human-centered approaches to policy and practice.

CO-PO Mapping: (Course outcome and Program Outcome Mapping.