INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE

I. Background and Rationale

Children in Sindh grow up in very different circumstances. While many benefit from strong families and community support, a significant number face conditions that expose them to risk. These include poverty, displacement, instability, unsafe working conditions, lack of documentation, and social exclusion. Some children live or work away from their families, including on the streets, in markets and workshops, in domestic labour, agriculture and fisheries, or in other informal settings. Others experience harmful practices such as early marriage, neglect, physical or sexual violence, online exploitation, or trafficking within and across communities.

Children in these circumstances are often invisible to formal systems of support. Many do not approach authorities because of fear, stigma, lack of awareness, or pressure from adults. When harm does occur, it is frequently hidden inside homes, institutions, workplaces or informal environments, making early identification and intervention more difficult.

Over recent years, the Government of Sindh has taken important steps to strengthen child protection, including the establishment of the Sindh Child Protection Authority and the adoption of child-specific legislation on marriage, labour, trafficking and violence. These measures create a strong legal and policy foundation. However, protecting children depends not only on laws, but also on how frontline officials understand and apply them in practice.

Police officers are among the first and most frequent State actors to encounter vulnerable children. Yet many officers have had limited opportunities for specialised training on child rights, trauma-aware communication, child-friendly investigation, or inter-agency referral procedures. This can lead to uncertainty, hesitation, or inconsistent handling of cases, despite the best intentions of officers.

This Manual has therefore been developed as a practical training and reference tool. Its purpose is to support Sindh Police in strengthening child-sensitive, professional and lawful responses to all children who come into contact with the police. It aligns with Pakistan’s constitutional guarantees, national and provincial legislation, and Pakistan’s commitments under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), while remaining grounded in the daily realities of policing in Sindh.

II. Why Child Protection Matters in Policing

Child protection is central to the mission of policing. Every day, police officers come into contact with children who may be frightened, harmed, exploited, missing, or in conflict with the law. In these moments, even small actions by the police can shape a child’s safety, well-being and trust in public institutions.

A child-sensitive police response can prevent further harm and trauma, strengthen investigations and prosecution of offenders, and protect the rights and dignity of children. Children are not simply smaller adults. They communicate differently, understand risk differently, and are more easily influenced, intimidated or traumatised. They are also legally recognised as a protected group whose best interests must guide decision-making.

For these reasons, professional policing requires specialised approaches when children are involved—whether they are victims, witnesses, children in need of protection, or children alleged to have committed offences. This includes calm and respectful communication, protection of privacy, avoidance of unnecessary detention or intimidation, and effective coordination with child protection and welfare services.

III. Objectives of the Manual

The primary objective of this Manual is to support police instructors and trainers in delivering structured, practical, and high-quality child protection training at police academies and in-service institutions.

More specifically, the Manual aims to:

Provide clear, practical guidance to police officers on identifying, preventing, and responding to child protection concerns during routine policing duties.
Explain the child rights and child protection framework applicable in Pakistan, with a particular focus on Sindh.
Clarify police roles and responsibilities when dealing with children as victims, witnesses, children in need of protection, and children in conflict with the law.
Promote child-sensitive and gender-responsive policing, including respectful communication and appropriate interviewing techniques.
Strengthen inter-agency coordination and referral mechanisms.
Serve as a reference resource for police trainers and personnel.

IV. How to Use This Manual

This Manual is designed as a reference guide for all levels of Sindh Police personnel who may come into contact with children during their duties. It is particularly relevant for:

For police trainers and instructors

Use this Manual as the primary reference and content source when delivering child protection training at police academies and in-service training programmes.

Training preparation (with the Facilitator’s Guide)

Trainers should use the Facilitator’s Guide alongside this Manual to plan training sessions, structure learning objectives, select activities, and adapt content to different training levels and durations.

Use of online child protection resources

Trainers are encouraged to refer to the Online Child Protection Resource Centre linked to this Manual to access updated laws, SOPs, visual materials, case studies, and supplementary references that support effective and engaging training delivery.

V. Scope of the Manual

This Manual provides guidance to Sindh Police personnel on matters relating to child protection and children in contact and in conflict with the law. It covers:

Key concepts and principles of child rights and child protection.
The legal, policy, and institutional framework in Pakistan, with a specific focus on Sindh.
Police procedures and operational responses in situations involving violence, abuse, exploitation, missing children, child labour, trafficking, online offences, and other protection concerns.
Procedures and safeguards applicable to children in conflict with the law under the Juvenile Justice System Act, 2018.
Ethical standards, professional conduct, and appropriate communication when interacting with children.

VI. Limitations

Police officers are expected to exercise professional judgement, act within the law, and seek guidance from supervisors, prosecutors, probation officers and child protection authorities where required. It is important to note:

The Manual does not replace the law. Where there is any conflict, Pakistan’s Constitution, national and provincial legislation, rules and court judgments prevail. It does not provide detailed legal interpretation, which remains the role of courts and prosecutors.
It does not cover all specialist investigative techniques, but focuses on child-sensitive practice.
Local SOPs, departmental instructions and command-level directives remain applicable and should be read together with this Manual.

Training Package Overview

This Manual is designed as the primary reference document for child protection training. It is supported by a separate Facilitator’s Guide and an Online Child Protection Resource Portal, which provide practical tools, case materials, updates, and supplementary references to support effective and interactive training delivery.

Key Terms Used in this Manual

Child: Any person under 18 years of age.
Child in need of protection: A child who is at risk of, or has experienced, violence, abuse, neglect or exploitation, and requires immediate or ongoing protective measures.
Child victim: A child who has suffered physical, emotional or psychological harm, or economic loss, as a result of a crime or harmful act.
Child witness: A child who provides, or is able to provide, testimony or information about a crime, event or incident.
Child in conflict with the law: A child who is alleged, accused or recognised as having committed an offence under the law.
Child in contact with the law: Any child who comes into contact with the justice system—as victim, witness, child in need of protection, or child in conflict with the law.
Diversion: Measures that allow a child alleged or accused of an offence to be dealt with without formal judicial proceedings, focusing on rehabilitation and reintegration.
Rehabilitation and reintegration: Measures aimed at enabling a child victim or child in conflict with the law to recover, resume education, rebuild relationships, and become a constructive member of society.
Best interests of the child: The standard used to determine which action or decision will most effectively protect the child’s rights, safety, welfare and development.

CPT Introduction & Purpose