பெண் குழந்தைகளின் பாலியல் துன்புறுத்தல் தடுப்பு விழிப்புணர்வில் தமிழ் இலக்கிய அறவியல் சிந்தனைகளும் டிஜிட்டல் பாதுகாப்புக் கல்வியும்: ஓர் இடைத்துறை ஆய்வு

Tamil Literary Ethical Thoughts and Digital Safety Education in the Awareness of Preventing Child Sexual Abuse Against Girls: An Interdisciplinary Study

Abstract

In the contemporary era, sexual violence against minor girls has become one of society's greatest challenges. To confront this issue, looking at the combination of ethical concepts emerging from ancient Tamil tradition alongside safety strategies of today's digital world serves as an effective research pathway. Throughout the history of Tamil literature, human morality, a woman's dignity and rights, and social responsibility have been deeply discussed. The ethical principles found in Sangam literature, Valluvar’s Thirukkural, and the Pathinenkilkanakku (Eighteen Lesser Texts) emphasize individual virtue and society's duty of protection. Specifically, in the triad concept of Aram, Porul, Inbam (Virtue, Wealth, Pleasure), virtue (Aram) is given the foremost priority. In today's context, when applying these ethical values to the digital space, the responsibilities that parents, teachers, and society must shoulder regarding children's internet usage become evident.

While the digital world offers children numerous opportunities in education and communication, it simultaneously exposes them to various dangers. Therefore, awareness education on digital safety must be tailored to their respective age groups. Children should be taught the skills to protect themselves and the virtue of respecting others' boundaries. By integrating and examining these two domains—one being the cultural-ethical foundation and the other being modern safety education—a new awareness model for the sexual safety of girls can be developed. The core finding of this study is that this interdisciplinary approach, by blending tradition and modernity, possesses the capability to provide appropriate solutions to modern-day challenges.