Prerana has been working with minor victims of commercial sexual exploitation since the last two decades to assist the State in the process of rehabilitation of the victims. There is great emphasis on rescuing victims from sexual exploitation but not much is done to ensure that they are rehabilitated and integrated well into society. As per the current legal structures, a minor victim of commercial sexual exploitation is to be seen as a child in need in care and protection (CNCP) under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (JJA). The child is presented before the CWC constituted under the JJA, which is supposed to place the child in a CCI or restore her/him to the family, depending upon what serves the best interest of the child after considering the findings of the Social Investigation Report (SIR). The PRO team assists the CWCs in this process through conducting a social investigation visit, submitting the report of such visit, and following-up on the child throughout the process of rehabilitation. The team provides extensive assistance in furthering the rehabilitation of the victims, which covers, but is not limited to:
- Production before the Child Welfare Committee (child protection authorities for vulnerable children under the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015);
- Conducting local Social Investigation and facilitating interstate visits;
- Psycho-Social counseling;
- Legal intervention;
- Preparing Individual Care Plans; and
- Facilitate rehabilitation and social reintegration of these rescued children into an open society.
Prerana also actively facilitates and co-facilitates sensitization and training programs on prevalence and seriousness of human trafficking, destination crimes, the need to stop revictimization of victims, rule of law and protection of rights, socio-economic analysis, legal awareness, exposure to regional and international instruments. These sessions are targeted towards law enforcement, judiciary, prosecutors, media representatives as well as service providers.
Prerana also conducts capacity building programs to enhance the capacities of the staff managing child care institutions (where the victims reside either for a short or long term) and other civil society organizations relating to victim friendliness, rights of the victims, skills, and principles in handling cases, barefoot counseling, trauma-informed client-centered intervention in care, sharing of best practices, use of better management practices.