A Critical Assessment of Posco Act 2012: Effectiveness, Challenges, and Gaps in Protecting Children in the Digital Age

Abstract

To establish a thorough legislative framework for protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, was passed. Although the Act has greatly improved India's child protection system, sexual offences perpetrated against children now take a different form due to the proliferation of online platforms. At the time of the Act's passage, the complicated legal issues surrounding online grooming, cyber harassment, live-streamed abuse, and the transmission of child sexual abuse material were almost unknown. The efficacy of the POCSO Act in the modern digital era is assessed in this study through a rigorous doctrinal examination. It examines judicial trends, identifies gaps in structure and implementation, and demonstrates how the current framework is inadequate in addressing cyber-enabled crimes. While the Act is still an important piece of legislation, the study found that in order to really safeguard children in today's digital worlds, there must be immediate revision of legislation and institutional strengthening.