CHALLENGES AND IMPLEMENTATION OF EFFECTIVE ENFORCEMENT OF POCSO ACT- A COMPARATIVE STUDY

The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, established a legal framework for child protection in India, yet its practical enforcement continues to face persistent challenges across the stakeholders responsible for its implementation. This study examined challenges and implementation gaps in enforcing the POCSO Act across five different stakeholder groups, namely, police, judiciary, medical professionals, representatives from NGOs, and the public (N=510). The study used simple random sampling. A structured 13-item scale assessing Reporting & Awareness, Investigation & Evidence Collection, and Trial & Judicial Process was administered via google forms and printed forms, and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent sample t-tests, and one-way ANOVA with Scheffé's post hoc test. Results showed significant differences across all areas (p<.001). Police and medical professionals reported the highest overall challenges, particularly in reporting and investigation-related areas, while the judiciary reported disproportionately high challenges specifically at the trial and judicial process stage despite lower scores elsewhere. The public and representatives from NGOs reported comparatively lower overall challenge levels. Significant effects of gender and age were also observed, along with a significant Group × Gender interaction, indicating that challenge perception varies by stakeholder role. These findings suggest that implementation barriers are role-specific rather than uniform, highlighting the need for tailored, stakeholder-specific training programs and interventions rather than generic training approaches to strengthen POCSO Act enforcement.