Bharath Child Sureksha Index
A comprehensive, research-led and prevention-oriented initiative generating structured, policy-grade data on child protection and digital safety across India.
BCSI synthesises 32+ indicators across four pillars to produce state and district rankings, identify gaps and guide policy action.
Executive Summary
BHARAT CHILD SURAKSHA INDEX (BCSI) is a comprehensive, research-led and prevention-oriented initiative designed to generate structured, policy-grade data on Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (CSEA), Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), and digital vulnerability among children aged 08–17 years across selected regions in South India.
While India has established legal frameworks such as the POCSO Act and provisions under the Information Technology Act, there remains a significant gap in granular, region-specific datasets capable of informing proactive prevention models, institutional Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and coordinated policy frameworks at state and central levels.
This initiative addresses that gap by integrating large-scale prevalence mapping, behavioural risk modelling, digital screening infrastructure, structured school-based awareness programming, institutional strengthening, and formal policy translation mechanisms.
National Context
India's rapid digital transformation has reshaped childhood experiences across socio-economic segments. Increased smartphone penetration and internet accessibility have expanded opportunities for learning and communication but have simultaneously introduced complex risks such as online grooming, coercive image-sharing, sextortion, peer-to-peer exploitation, exposure to CSAM, and AI-enabled manipulation including deepfake image abuse.
Underreporting remains pervasive due to stigma, fear, limited awareness, and institutional mistrust. Current data largely reflects reported cases and does not adequately represent the actual prevalence of exposure or the behavioural and systemic factors that drive vulnerability.
BCSI responds by establishing a structured data architecture that captures exposure prevalence, behavioural patterns, reporting barriers, institutional response capacity, and protective factors. The initiative reframes CSEA and CSAM as interlinked public health, education, and governance challenges requiring coordinated, evidence-based prevention systems.
Vision
To establish a child protection ecosystem in which children are digitally aware, empowered to report harm without fear, protected through coordinated institutional mechanisms, and supported by data-informed policy frameworks capable of adapting to evolving digital risks.
Mission
To implement a multi-state framework that integrates rigorous prevalence research, behavioural analytics, digital screening tools, structured school-based prevention campaigns, institutional SOP development, and policy translation to reduce vulnerability to CSEA and CSAM while strengthening reporting confidence and institutional response systems.
Project Objectives
The initiative pursues seven interconnected objectives designed to build a comprehensive child protection data ecosystem.
Establish statistically credible baseline prevalence data on CSEA and CSAM exposure.
Identify behavioural, familial, peer-driven, and digital risk factors.
Measure mobile addiction indicators and correlate them with exploitation risk.
Create structured reporting pathways embedded within school systems.
Produce state-level Child Safety Index reports.
Develop modular SOP frameworks for educational institutions, law enforcement, and counselling services.
Synthesise findings into policy briefs supporting evidence-based decision-making.
Geographic Scope
Phase I will be implemented across selected districts in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Hyderabad representing urban, peri-urban, rural, and socio-economically diverse contexts.
- Government and private schools included in the sampling design
- Representation of vulnerable populations including migrant communities
- Children in care institutions included
- Age-segmented engagement frameworks ensuring developmental appropriateness
The Four Pillars
BCSI synthesises 32+ indicators across four foundational pillars to produce state and district rankings, identify gaps and guide policy action.
Online harm, cyber-bullying and grooming indicators.
Trafficking, abuse and protection infrastructure.
School enrolment, retention and digital learning.
Mental health, nutrition and child healthcare coverage.
Seven Integrated Components
The initiative is built on seven interconnected components that together form a comprehensive child protection and digital safety ecosystem.
CSEA & CSAM Prevalence Mapping
Trauma-informed anonymous digital surveys measuring exposure to online solicitation, coercive communication, CSAM exposure, peer-driven image circulation, offline abuse indicators, and reporting behaviour. Outputs include state-level prevalence reports, district vulnerability heat maps, reporting gap analyses, and a consolidated South India Child Safety Index.
Risk & Protective Factor Analytics
Statistical modelling and predictive clustering techniques identify vulnerability patterns and protective variables. Dashboards provide policymakers with actionable insights for targeted prevention investments, teacher training prioritisation, counselling resource allocation, and school safety reforms.
SAFE-T Digital Screening Platform
Structured digital screening for mobile addiction, exposure risk indicators, emotional wellbeing, and anonymised reporting pathways linked to referral mechanisms. Built with strict data governance standards including encryption, safeguarding oversight, and privacy compliance.
Digital Detox & Safe Futures Programme
A full-day institutional model integrating CSEA and CSAM awareness sessions, structured screening via SAFE-T, age-segmented workshops on grooming tactics and consent literacy, a curated social-impact film screening, a Digital Detox Hour, and confidential support clinics with counsellors and trained professionals.
Institutional Strengthening & SOPs
Agency-specific Standard Operating Procedures for schools, law enforcement agencies, counsellors, and education departments. SOPs standardise disclosure handling, documentation processes, digital evidence safeguarding, child-friendly intake procedures, and referral coordination.
Policy Translation & National Impact
Annual Child Safety Index reports, state-level advisory briefs, and central-level policy recommendations. Outputs inform district prioritisation, enforcement training frameworks, counselling investments, and national prevention strategies.
Monitoring, Evaluation & Longitudinal Tracking
A comprehensive monitoring framework tracking behavioural indicators, reporting confidence levels, institutional response capacity, and vulnerability trends over three to five years. Annual evaluation reports measure impact, refine strategies, and provide accountability.
Governance & Safeguarding
A structured governance model ensures research integrity, ethical compliance, privacy protection, and child safeguarding throughout implementation.
Steering Committee
Strategic oversight and decision-making.
Technical Advisory Panel
Research integrity and methodology guidance.
Safeguarding & Ethics Committee
Ethical compliance and child protection adherence.
Data Governance Board
Privacy protection and data governance oversight.
Implementation Timeline
A phased three-year approach ensures systematic development, rigorous testing, and scalable deployment.
Year One
Tool development, ethics approvals, pilot implementation, and baseline data capture.
Year Two
Scale implementation across participating districts and publish the inaugural Child Safety Index.
Year Three
Longitudinal tracking, policy engagement, and structured expansion planning.
Sustainability & Scale Strategy
BCSI is designed for scalability through CSR partnerships, government adoption pathways, subscription-based screening models for private institutions, and integration within state education and child protection frameworks. The established data architecture and SOP templates enable structured replication across additional states.
BCSI at c0c0n 2026
The initiative will be formally integrated with c0c0n 2026 through a dedicated CSEA and Child Digital Safety Track. This national cybersecurity forum will serve as a convergence platform where Phase I findings, Child Safety Index releases, SOP frameworks, and policy recommendations are presented.
- Senior IPS officers and cybercrime leadership engagement
- NGO representatives, social workers, and education officials
- Structured roundtables on inter-agency coordination
- CSAM investigation challenges and trauma-informed response systems
- Cross-state replication pathways and CSR partner engagement
Partners
The initiative is implemented through a collaborative partnership model bringing together leading organisations in child protection, cybersecurity, and research.
Conclusion
BHARAT CHILD SURAKSHA INDEX (BCSI) establishes a structured, scalable, and policy-oriented framework combining rigorous data capture, behavioural screening, institutional strengthening, and national dissemination. By integrating research outputs with operational reforms and presenting findings within a recognised cybersecurity platform, the initiative ensures measurable impact, accountability, and long-term reform potential.
The project is positioned as a foundational model for national child digital safety transformation — grounded in evidence, institutional coordination, and sustainable scalability.
Team Crayon & c0c0n