Bhubaneswar: In a first-of-its-kind statewide outreach effort, Odisha Police, in collaboration with the Department of Women & Child Development and UNICEF, organised an interactive adolescent engagement programme across all 578 civil police stations under the JUVENTICA – CWPO Outreach with Adolescents initiative.
The initiative is inspired by Infantia, the national conversation that emphasizes safe digital spaces as essential to children’s rights and well-being. It highlights the need to ensure that children can participate in the online world safely, respectfully, and with dignity.
Speaking about the initiative, Yogesh Bahadur Khurania, Director General of Odisha Police, said, “Through JUVENTICA, we are reaffirming our commitment to making the police force more approachable and child-friendly. Adolescents today face growing challenges in the digital world, including cyberbullying and negative body image issues. This initiative is an important step towards building trust and ensuring that every child feels safe, heard, and supported.”
Prasanta Kumar Dash, Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Odisha, said, “Adolescents need trusted adults and institutions they can turn to without fear or hesitation. Initiatives like JUVENTICA help create meaningful spaces for young people to interact openly, build confidence, and better understand where they can seek support. Bringing these conversations into police stations is an important step towards making child protection systems more accessible, responsive, and adolescent-friendly.”
Rukmani Nayak a participant from Salia Sahi, Bhubaneswar, shared, “I had never visited a police station before, and when we were asked to come here, we were a little hesitant. But after interacting with the police personnel today, our fear has gone. They listened to us patiently and made us feel comfortable. Now I feel confident that if I face any problem in the future, I can come to the police and seek their help”.
The outreach programme facilitated meaningful conversations among adolescents, child welfare police officers (CWPOs), and frontline stakeholders about the challenges young people face today, particularly in digital spaces. Interactive engagements and exposure visits to police stations encouraged greater awareness, trust, and confidence among participants.
