Life Skills Education Toolkit

LIFE SKILLS EDUCATION TOOLKIT FOR ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN INDIA 3•

DEFINING THE YOUNG

• The terms “adolescents,” “youth,” and “young
  people” are used differently in different
  societies. These categories are often associated
  with varying roles, responsibilities and ages
  depending on the local context.


• Key life events—marriage, sexual debut (first
  sexual intercourse), employment,
  childbearing, acceptance in adult
  organizations and political participation—
  also occur at different times between and
  within societies.


• National programs and policies often make
  different distinctions among these categories
  as well. In India, for example, the country’s
  Youth Policy includes people up to the age
  of 35.


• Commonly used definitions across
  demographic, policy and social contexts include:
  
  
  • Adolescents: 10-19 years of age (early
    adolescence, 10-1; late adolescence, 15-19) ;
  
  
  • Yo u t h: 15-24 years of age;
  
  
  • Young people: 10-24 years of age;
  
  
  • Child: From the ages of birth through
    adolescence. As per the Juvenile Justice Act
    2000, “child” is defined as an individual
    below 18 years of age;
  
  
  • Vulnerable Child: A child living in a
    household with a chronically ill parent/
    caregiver in a high-risk setting due to HIV
    prevalence or proximity to high-risk
    behaviors. In the Indian context,
    “vulnerable children” are those who are at
    risk of acquiring HIV infection; and
  
  
  • Orphan: A child who has lost one or
    both parents.
    This document uses USAID definitions in its Orphan
    and Vulnerable Children projects and young people and
    children are used synonymously.
  
  
  
  

CHILDREN NEED BOTH HIV PREVENTION AND

CARE AND SUPPORT

HIV/AIDS programs must address the diverse

vulnerabilities of children, including:

• Children of sex workers and other
  marginalized communities, such as rag
  pickers and street children, who are in
  exploitive situations and are especially
  vulnerable to HIV;


• Girls who are increasingly at risk because of
  myths surrounding sexuality and STIs/HIV,
  such as the belief that if a man has sex with a
  virgin girl, he can be cured of STIs/HIV;


• Media messages particularly
  communicated through adult programs
  and literature like movies and magazines
  that glamorize alcohol, sex and rich
  lifestyles tempting young people to
  succumb to potentially risky situations;


• Substance use among young people,
  which makes them vulnerable to risky
  behavior and HIV;


• Young boys and girls who are unaware of
  reproductive health issues and safe sex
  practices may experiment with unprotected
  sex and expose themselves to STIs/HIV; and


• Children who are caregivers of
  HIV-affected parents, and thus have
  experienced trauma and the loss of
  childhood, may also be infected by HIV.
  Over the years better understanding of the HIV
  epidemic has emphasized the need to sensitize and
  educate service providers to respond urgently and
  more effectively to the needs of orphans and
  children who are vulnerable, infected and affected
  by HIV/AIDS.