Reframing Child Protection: A Multidisciplinary Perspective on the POCSO Framework.

Abstract

This paper examines the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (‘POCSO Act’) through a multidisciplinary perspective, situating it within the normative framework of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. While child sexual abuse is increasingly recognised as a complex global challenge requiring integrated responses, domestic legal frameworks continue to operate primarily within conventional criminal law structures. This study explores how the POCSO framework engages with interdisciplinary dimensions of child protection, including psychological vulnerability, child-sensitive procedures, and institutional coordination within a rights-based paradigm.

Adopting a doctrinal methodology, the paper evaluates the substantive, evidentiary, and procedural design of the POCSO framework in light of CRC principles, including the best interests of the child, evolving capacities, and the right to recovery and reintegration. It further examines the extent to which the legal framework reflects or accommodates insights from allied disciplines, particularly regarding victim participation, testimonial reliability, and rehabilitative processes. The analysis maps areas of intersection and divergence between legal structures and multidisciplinary approaches to child protection, without advancing prescriptive claims, situating the POCSO framework within broader interdisciplinary discourse on child rights