Description

India has a huge population of children in need of care and protection. Providing mental health services to this population remains a challenge for the State, the mental health community and civil society organizations. Children in conflict with the law also most often belong to this category of children in need of care and protection. When a child is alleged to have committed an offence and comes into conflict with the law, he comes into contact with the juvenile justice system, which is his first real opportunity to be screened for any mental health risks, referred for any specialized mental health service - including counselling, psychiatric services, life skills education and so on. There is a need for all children, and especially growing children and adolescents, including CICL, to be taught that there are consequences for their actions, for they which will be held accountable. However, the means for ensuring such accountability must be grounded in developmentally appropriate correctional mechanisms, the human rights of children and a deeper understanding of the circumstances that led to such behavior or actions