India’s legal frameworks in dealing with juvenile justice and child sexual offenses are a substantive paradigm shift from punitive to rehabilitative orientations, and are in accordance with international human rights standards and development principles. This chapter makes a critical study of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, and some of the relevant Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023 provisions. While institutional strength (including rights-based procedures and victim-protection mechanisms) is identified, the analysis brings systemic weaknesses such as inconsistent enforcement, poor training, infrastructural deficits, and interstate disparities to the fore. Empirical evidence and case law show that straight punitive approaches increase recidivism while trauma, developmentally appropriate and restorative justice interventions lead to sustainable behavioral change. Policy recommendations emphasize on fortification of institutional capacity, establishment of transparent data system, integration of mental health services, and harmonization of legal provisions with adolescent developmental realities to create an actual child-centric justice system.