A much-needed PSA on child online safety

Qissé Films in partnership with MISSING, an NGO working on child trafficking prevention, has released a PSA (Public Service Announcement) that aims to create awareness and drive conversations around child online safety. 

Conceptualized by Qissé Films and MISSING, the film features the narrative of two young children from different backgrounds and how they get exploited by strangers who pose as friends on social media. It showcases how easily they fall prey to online traffickers even from the perceived safety of their homes. The film ends with a cautionary message of introspecting who you are really talking to online. It shockingly reveals that these predators target children as young as nine years and shares a whatsapp number that can be reached out for anyone seeking help. 

The PSA is supported by NCPCR (National Commission for Protection of Child Rights) and CyberPeace. It is playing across PVR theatres in the country. 

Indira Aditi Rawat, the director of the film, says, "Having worked with non-profits focused on children for many years, I was clear that the film should avoid sensationalism or melodrama and maintain authenticity. The narrative journey should be simple and show how ordinary conversations can lead to distressing situations for children who are isolated from their parents when spending time on their devices." 

Luv Kalla and Richa Maheshwari, Founders of Qisse Films, say, “We’ve all had worried conversations about our children spending more and more unsupervised time online. To make the online space safer for our kids, we need to get these conversations out of the living rooms and to the public forums. We at Qissé are glad to be able to create a film and aid MISSING, who are doggedly working to raise awareness, educate and push for policy initiatives to create a safe online environment for our children.” 

Leena Kejriwal, Founder Missing Link Trust and strident advocate for anti-child trafficking and child safety, says “Our children in India face the highest risk of online abuse in the world, with a child being either abused or going missing every 10 minutes. Films play a powerful role in building public awareness, which is the first step in prevention. Qissé’s impactful film will help us prevent online abuse by building awareness about the alarming statistics, and beginning a dialogue about the issue with parents, children, schools and the community at large. There is an urgent need for the public to get involved and help build a safer online world for our children.”

The helpline whatsapp chat number is 60030 60040, aiming to provide 24/7 information and assistance to parents and children grappling with this issue.