VMPL
New Delhi [India], December 16: For years, conversations on Child Sexual Abuse remained hidden, spoken in whispers, avoided within families, and rarely acknowledged publicly. Arpan, a globally recognised non-profit organisation dedicated to the elimination of Child Sexual Abuse (CSA), launched Child Safety Week (CSW) in 2019 as a nationwide movement to dismantle this silence, amplify conversations and drive action to protect children from sexual abuse. Arpan's Child Safety Week 2025 with its bold "POCSO Pakad Lega" campaign, has finally broken this silence and achieved a massive 165+ million reach. It has marked a major leap forward in child safety awareness and public accountability nationwide.
Centered on the powerful message that Child Sexual Abuse is a punishable offence and all children in India are #ProtectedByPOCSO, the campaign focussed on targeting offenders and sent an uncompromising warning: "Kisi bhi bacche ko galat tareeke se chhua toh #POCSOPakadLega. It served both as a warning and a deterrent, making the POCSO Act (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act) visible and accountability real. The campaign also called upon adult stakeholders reminding them that when adults take action, laws like POCSO come alive and ensure that offenders are held accountable.
As the face and voice of the campaign, Arpan's Goodwill Ambassador Vidya Balan, one of India's most acclaimed actors, brought gravitas and unprecedented reach to Child Safety Week 2025. Eminent actors Shweta Kawaatra, Manav Gohil, and Anup Soni further strengthened the narrative, each lending their influential voice against Child Sexual Abuse. The campaign gained its real power through the exceptional support of our Government partners and Media, Agency, Outdoor, and Mall partners.
One of our key partners, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) observed Child Safety Week 2025 across India with nationwide activities focused on preventing unsafe situations, including bullying, and promoting safe, supportive environments for children and adolescents. Placing children's protection needs at the centre, Dr Zoya Ali Rizvi, Deputy Commissioner (Adolescent Health), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, said:
"It is essential that children are taught to recognise unsafe behaviours, including bullying, and to assertively refuse and seek help. It is equally important that adults have the understanding and skills to respond with sensitivity when a child shares an unsafe experience. To strengthen this effort, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare observed Child Safety Week across India from 14 to 20 November, engaging children, adolescents, families, teachers and communities in conversations about personal safety."
Adolescent Health Counsellors, Peer Educators, Health & Wellness Ambassadors, and State/UT officials led workshops, peer discussions, and creative engagements across schools and Adolescent Friendly Health Clinics (AFHCs) in states such as Manipur, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, and Punjab, to name a few, reaffirming India's commitment to every child's safety and well-being.
Pooja Taparia, Founder and CEO of Arpan, said: "The repeated presence of 'POCSO Pakad Lega' and 'Child Safety' across city newspapers, entertainment portals, regional dailies, digital platforms, community networks, residential complexes, public spaces, hoardings, digital signages and transport networks has normalised a language India once hesitated to speak, transforming CSA from a taboo topic into a mainstream national conversation. For example, a listener of a radio channel called the RJ during a discussion on Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) and referenced Arpan's billboard, appreciating the message and its urgency. At our on-ground school installations, a teacher shared an important insight that parents want to understand about CSA but don't know who to ask. She felt the campaign is breaking this barrier and influencing people to change their perspective. During our mall activation, a lawyer handling POCSO cases reinforced the need for continued awareness efforts so that more cases are reported.
This has been the very purpose of Child Safety Week, to mainstream conversations on Child Sexual Abuse and amplify it."
The 360 Integrated Campaign Approach:
This powerful campaign warranted a 360-degree integrated approach designed to maximise visibility and public impact. The campaign was amplified through a comprehensive multimedia strategy in collaboration with Government and Publicity partners.
It included a campaign film with Vidya Balan, on major OTT platforms like JioHotstar, Zee5, and MX Player, and YouTube garnering over 4.6 M views. A strong social media influencer outreach campaign joined by Shweta Kawaatra, Manav Gohil, Nirmal Sonni, Bhagyashree, Anup Soni and more, with a reach of 3M +. The extensive OOH coverage comprising billboards, digital signage, digital screens and posters in residential networks, delivery bikes, and public gardens garnered a reach of 33 M across Mumbai.
The message travelled across transport networks via collaborations with MMRDA & MMMOCL, TMC & TMT, NMMT, Western & Central Railway in a Metro train, buses, digital screens at stations, bus shelters with a reach of 25 M. Child Safety Week was also activated across multiple states in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. On-ground installations reached over 4,000 schools nationwide, creating direct engagement with students, teachers, and families. Mall activations at prime malls like Infiniti Malad, Nexus Seawoods, and Lakeshore Thane garnered support.
A robust PR campaign across leading national and regional publications like Bombay Times, Delhi Times and other city editions, Mid Day, FPJ, Lokmat Times and Dainik Bhaskar helped amplify the message further. The campaign achieved 100 million+ reach across print, online and social media.
Although Child Safety Week has ended, the message of POCSO Pakad Lega will continue to echo across India and the movement it sparked will continue long into the future. Arpan also remains committed to sustaining this momentum and turning awareness into action, silence into vigilance, and protection into everyday practice.
For more information on the campaign, visit www.arpan.org.in or follow #POCSOPakadLega on social media.
About Arpan
Arpan is a globally recognised, award-winning non-profit based in Mumbai, dedicated to the elimination of Child Sexual Abuse in India. It is the country's largest NGO with 150+ professionals offering comprehensive prevention and intervention (healing) services for both children and adults. Through its various programmes and initiatives, Arpan works towards creating a safer environment for children across India. Over 2 crore individualsspanning children and adultshave been impacted by Arpan's services since 2007. As a thought leader in CSA Prevention and Intervention, Arpan drives policy and systemic change at the local, state and national levels.
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