November 19 has been designated
as the WORLD DAY FOR PREVENTION OF CHILD ABUSE. For this reason, and promoted
by the Women's World Summit Foundation, 117 organizations from all over
the world have formed a coalition to work in prevention, rehabilitation
and application of child rights. The World Association of Early Childhood
Educators (WAECE) is a member of the coalition.
As a contribution to this campaign, WAECE is publishing
this page with the handbook "Protecting children from abuse"
which is meant for children over three years of age, to be used freely
by all educators and parents who so wish. All the people wishing to exchange
experiences or materials that could be used by other educators should
send them to formularios@waece.org.
Evidence is mounting that child mistreatment
is the precursor to many of the major social problems of today:
. 95% of child abusers were themselves abused as children
. 80% of substance abusers were abused as children
. 80% of runaways cite child abuse as a factor
. 95% of prostitutes were sexually abused as children
. 78% of prison population were abused as children
. 50% of suicide attempts reported having been sexually
abused at some time
Not every child who is abused has problems of this magnitude,
but we know child abuse robs far too many children of their ability to
freely reach their full potential. Their loss is our loss and adequate
measures are needed to end the cycle of child abuse.
Another way of looking at the statistics is to realize that
if we were able to stop or even prevent part of the child abuse, we would
significantly contribute to solving some major problems in our society.
We now know that children can prevent abuse and abduction
if they are given skills they can understand and practice in every day
life. Child abuse is in the headlines with alarming regularity. Over the
past fifteen years, reports of child abuse have steadily increased.
Children are the first line of defense against
abuse. Parents, schools, and organizations can use all the avoidance technology
at their disposal, but experience tells us that we are almost always surprised
to discover perpetrators in our midst.
Prevention of child abuse can be taught without talking about abuse.
Children do not need to be told what abuse is, who the offenders are,
how they operate, what they do, or why. Neither do they need to be told
that the people they love might hurt them. Rather, we can deal with prevention
positively and concretely, giving children the skills they need to act
effectively on their own behalf when they are in a potentially abusive
situation.
There are times when children can and must be responsible for their own
well-being, such as when they are alone with a potential abuser. At such
times, they need permission to speak up. They need specific techniques
to stop what is being done to them. And, they must know they will be believed
and supported by the adults in their lives. The best overall defense children
have against abuse is:
. a sense of their own abilities
. the ability to accurately assess and handle a variety of situations
. knowing where and how to get help
. knowing they will be believed
Children have a right to be safe without being afraid. Children who have
been taught to think for themselves are the safest.
Training to prevent sexual abuse begins
with children's natural abilities, what they already know, and the experiences
they have already had. The fundamental messages in prevention of child
abuse by people known to the child include:
1. Your body belongs to you
2. You have a right to say who touches you and how
3. If someone touches you in a way you do not like, in a way that
makes you feel funny or uncomfortable inside, or in a way that you
think is wrong or that your parents would think is wrong, it is okay
to say "no"
4. If the person does not stop, say , " I am going to tell!" and then
tell, no matter what
5. If you are asked to keep a secret, say, "No, I am going to tell!"
6. If you have a problem, keep talking about it until someone helps
you
Children learn that they can have some control over what happens to their
bodies when we teach them, and when we show them through our own behavior,
that their bodies do indeed belong to them. Children, as young as two
and three, already know what touch they like and what touch they do not
like. Touch they do not like makes them feel uneasy and seems wrong to
them. This approach to prevention simply gives them permission to speak
up. It teaches them how to speak up effectively and in a way that is appropriate.
These techniques to prevent child abuse must be learned not just as ideas,
but as real skills. This means practice. Part of effective prevention
education includes role-playing, giving children an opportunity to to
see how it feels to say "no" in a difficult situation. Parents can do
some of this, but the essence of the classroom programs is actually giving
children an opportunity to practice these skills so they can really use
them should they find it necessary. Just as children do not learn to ride
a bicycle by talking or reading about bicycling, children do not learn
to prevent child abuse without opportunities to work with the techniques,
to practice and feel comfortable with the skills.
Children need to know that strangers are
just people they don’t know and that they encounter strangers every day
of their lives. There is no reason to be afraid, but there are safety
rules which should be followed with all strangers when children are not
with an adult who is taking care of them (e.g. playing in the front yard
or at the park). The concepts and rules for safety around strangers are
simple and straightforward and should be taught without fear of horror
stories. They can be utilized by children as young as three and should
be adapted as children get older.
The rules to follow by a child alone or with friends
when approached by a stranger are:
1) Stay an arm’s reach away. This is the length of
a grown-up’s arm plus another step back. If the person continues to approach,
keep backing up to maintain the arm’s reach circle of safety.
2) Don’t talk to the person. This includes requests
for help, questions, and seemingly simple conversation. Even if the person
knows your name, that does not mean s/he knows you.
3) Don’t take anything from the person. Not even something that belongs
to you or your parents.
4) Don’t go anywhere with the person. Even if s/he says it is an emergency,
go to someone you know and check it out.
5) If you begin to feel that something is wrong or to feel uncomfortable
or afraid, back up four steps, then turn around and run. Do anything
you can to attract attention! Ask for help. Adults cannot tell you are
in trouble unless you get their attention and ask for help. Do not get
stuck because you failed to follow one or more of the rules and are
now in a difficult situation.
Again, in all areas of prevention, the rules and concepts have no value
if they remain ideas. Children learn by doing. All the research has
shown that these rules must become skills in order to protect children.
This means practice, role-playing, acting out everyday situations. This
can be awkward for parents, which is part of the reason that it is so
important for schools to participate in this educational process.
For all praptical purposes, there are times
when your children are alone. For example, you are in the shower and someone
comes to the door; or you’re in the yard and the telephone rings.
With only the rarest exceptions, all children are alone
– however briefly – at one time or another and when they are alone, they
wonder what could happen. Knowing and talking about your children’s concerns
not only reassures them, but prepares them to be safer. Setting up a series
of guidelines and discussing options for unexpected situations is a good
first step.
Answering the telephone
Answer the telephone with "hello". Children should not give their name
or answer any questions over the telephone unless they are talking with
a close friend or family member.
If they are home alone, they should say, "My mom (father) is busy,
may I take a message?"
If a caller refuses to leave a message or is giving the child a hard
time, it is all right to hang up the phone.
If your child cannot take a message, for whatever reason, ask the person
to call back at a specified time.
Answering the door
Children should keep the door locked when they are at
home alone. Always go to the door when someone knocks or rings. Ask "Who
is it?" Do not open the door for anyone except a member of the family
or a friend if you have permission. With your children, establish specific
responses for people delivering a package such as, "Please leave it by
the door." If a signature is required; "Please come back later" or "Leave
it with the neighbor".
Emergencies
Children need to know what is expected of them in an
emergency and how to make an emergency call to Emergency Health centers,
ambulances, etc. They need to know that all rules are called off in a
life threatening situation and that they have your permission to do whatever
needs to be done at the moment to protect themselves or others.
Be prepared - the following list will give you a starting
place for family discussion
My name
My mother’s name
My father’s name
My address
My phone number
My mother’s work phone number
My father’s work phone number
Police/Fire/Emergency
Doctors
Neighbors/ Other resource people
If the phone rings, I will...
If somebody comes to the door, I will...
I can let the following people in...
If there is an emergency, I should...
If I get scared, I will...
My responsibilities are...
Providing prevention education for children
is only the beginning. Each and every one of us has a role to play.
Speak up
Recognize that you are an advocate for each and every
child you know or with whom you come into contact. If a child is being
maltreated and you do not speak up, who will? To report suspected child
maltreatment call local services for child protection.
Educate yourself
Read this briefing about prevention of child abuse and
pass it on.
Volunteer
There are many service organizations in communities and
hundreds of children who need role-models, homes and advocates.
Give
Whether it is time, materials, or money, the need is
there. Community service organizations will be pressed ever more as children
come forward and reveal what is happening to them. Part of ending the
cycle of child abuse is taking good care of these children. That means
more resources will be needed.
Acknowledge yourselves
This project reflects our commitment to reducing the
level of child abuse in our community.
Child abuse is a complex problem. It requires considerable
thought, commitment and multi-faceted programming to enable families and
schools to reduce the vulnerability of children. School-based prevention
of child abuse education, which has been shown to be effective and which
does not diminish the child’s education sense of well-being, is a key
element in that effort. Reporting child abuse is essential. Provide follow-up
care and treatment to reduce the secondary effects of child abuse is essential.
By giving each and every child in this community the
opportunity to learn prevention skills, by listening and helping when
they come to us, and by adequately addressing child abuse when it happens,
this community can move a step closer to making real its declared commitment
to the well-being of each of its children.
Child abuse occurs when an adult causes,
or threatens to cause, physical or mental harm to a child. Child abuse
includes physical, sexual, and emotional abuse as well as neglect, which
may include lack of supervision, inadequate physical, medical, or educational
care, and abandonment.
Abusers can be strangers, family, friends, or neighbors, someone the
child knows and trusts. Child abuse is not limited to any one group. It
happens in all socio-economic racial, ethnic, and religious sectors. Studies
show that most sexual abuse involves no physical damage to the child,
the damage comes from the violation of the relationship and has far more
long-lasting effects than physical injury.
What abuse does to children
Children who have been abused not only suffer a wide
range of effects from their victimization, but are at greater risk to
be abused again. Abuse and neglect commonly produce feeling of: guilt,
violation, loss of control, lowered self-esteem
Even those children who seem to be handling their abuse
are concerned that:
. it will continue to happen
. they did something wrong
. other relationships might become abusive
Long-term effects of abuse and neglect
Common problems for abused and neglected children include:
emotional difficulties, disruptive behavior, poor performance in school,
vulnerability to further abuse, depression, suicide attempts.
While these problems are not always not obviously linked
to the abuse, they must not be overlooked or allowed to develop unchecked.
Long-term studies of low achievers, runaways, substance
abusers, prostitutes and incarcerated individuals paint a disturbing picture.
Abuse and neglect are consistent and pervasive elements in their backgrounds.
Low self-esteem and poor self-concept are ever present.
Knowing this, there can be little doubt that we must
commit our energy and resources to preventing, intervening, and treating
child abuse and neglect in order that present and future generations have
the opportunity they deserve to meet their full potential.
The trauma of a child reporting abuse is
very real. If this happens, the first concern is to remain calm and supportive
of the child. Give the child an opportunity to tell you in his or her
own way what happened. Do not overreact or criticize in any way.
The child needs to be reassured:
1. That you believe him/her and you are glad s/he told you
2. That s/he did not do anything wrong
3. That you will do your best to see that s/he is not hurt again
and make every effort to get help.
Do not promise the child that you will do anything specific.
You may not be able to keep that promise. Children who report sexual or
physical abuse need to be examined by a doctor. Make the child a part
of the process. If possible, find a physician the child knows or one who
is particularly experienced in abuse cases.
Remember almost without exception, children do not lie
about abuse, except to deny that it happened.
Remember also the trauma of abuse is long-lasting and
not always apparent. When a child reports being abused, the process of
recovery begins. The next step is to report the abuse to the appropriate
authorities and begin the treatment of the child and, whenever possible,
of the perpetrator.
The decision to report abuse is always difficult.
Most sexual abuse, and virtually all physical and emotional abuse, involve
someone known to the child. Interpersonal relationships and community
considerations frequently bring hesitation to report.
At these times, it is to remember that the total responsibility
for the offense lies with the offender. Reporting protects the child and
may ultimately result in getting the offender professional help. A person
who reports suspected abuse is not responsible for ruining the offender's
life. The person who has the courage and takes the responsibility to report
is saving a child and most probably others.
Any person who has knowledge or reason to believe that
a child has been or is being abused is responsible to report to the 'Service
de la Protection de la Jeunesse' on behalf of the child.
Anyone may report a suspected case of child abuse or
child maltreatment. it is important to know that the law does not require
certainty before reporting. Any suspected case should be reported. The
law protects any person, official, or institution that makes a report
in good faith (meaning an honest belief that a child is being abused).
While reporting child abuse can be difficult, if you
do not act on behalf of the child, who will?
The degree of impact that abuse has on a
child is determined by several factors:
1. The type and severity of the assault
2. The relationship of the offender to the child
3. The duration of the assault situation
4. The reaction of the people around the child after the assault
is reported
5. Support available to the child which enables full recovery.
One of the most important things you can do to aid a
child's recovery is to make sure the child knows the offender is responsible
for what happened. Parents have a role to play, but a professional can
also be very important in helping a child to resolve the many issues which
arise following abuse.
It is not true that a child will forget the abuse if
the adults do not talk about it nor allow the child to talk about it.
The Incident is very real for the child and can color every aspect of
his or her life, whether s/he talks about it or not. Supporting the child
to complete the process of recovery should not be undervalued.
Another area of concern is treatment for abusers. This
is particularly important with adolescent abusers. Teenagers who abuse
others are beginning a lifelong pattern of abuse that can result in hundreds
of children being abused. Intervention at the earliest possible time cannot
be stressed enough and adolescence is the most successful moment for intervention.
It is left up to every individual or group
to research local community resources for the protection of child abuse,
i.e. Children’s hospital; Police Brigades, Protection & Health Services,
etc. The following are just some contact addresses in Spain:
The Minor's Advocate in Madrid · C/ Serrano 110, 28006 Madrid,
Tel. 91-563-4411· email: defensor@dmenor-mad.es.
People's Advocates in Spain:
Justicia de Aragón · C/ Don Juán de Aragón,7 · 50001
ZARAGOZA · Tlfno: 976.399354 · Fax: 976.394632
Diputado del Común · C/ O´Daly, 28 · 38700 Santa
Cruz de la Palma, TENERIFE ·
Tlfno: 922.416040 · Fax: 922.415228
Defensor del Pueblo Andaluz · C/ Reyes Católicos, 21 ·
41001 SEVILLA · Tlfno: 954.212121 Fax: 954.214497
Procurador del Común · Plaza de San Marcos, Casa del Peregrino
· 24001 LEÓN ·
Tlfno: 987.270095 · Fax: 987.273141
Sindic de Greuges · Carrer Josep Anselm Clavé, 31 ·
08002 BARCELONA ·
Tlfno: 93.3018075 · Fax: 93.3013187
Adjunto a Sindic de Greuges · Pascual Blasco, 1 ·
03001 ALICANTE · Tlfno: 96.5923733
Fax: 96.5227050
Valedor de Pobo · Rua de Hórreo · 15071 SANTIAGO
DE COMPOSTELA · Tlfno: 981.571900 Fax: 981.572335
Internet users who come across pornographic web sites should inform the
police or other appropriate help centers who have the duty to stop the
site and its origin.
More and more children, and especially through the schools,
have access to Internet. We do not fight Internet but try to make it help
us to protect children from dangerous sites not meant for their interaction.
There exist to-date many filter programs which are especially designed
software to filter, control and manage Internet access. Such filters allow
to limit access to the Net at certain times of the day, or the entire
time of surfing on the Net during one day, and especially restrict access
to certain sites which are not meant for children.
Protection filters on the Net are one thing, however
most of the contacts are made via "chat sites" and there the filters are
useless. The best way is to have a trusting relationship with your child
where a dialogue about his/her experience on the Net is natural. Ask the
child to show you what he/she does, what he/she thinks, what he/she prefers
on the Net and why.
The World Day is being observed
in many different ways, in many different countries. Each participating
organization is holding its activites according to its own capabilities
and resources. The following is a partial listing of events:
AFRICA
Cameroon - United Action for Children (UAC) plans radio programs,
public debates, round tables, exhibitions, film projections, management
of information systems, construction of poster panels as well as submitting
a UAC policy statement on child abuse to the government.
Chad – Association Jeunesse Anti-Clivage (AJAC) plans round tables
and public debates with representatives of several Ministries, civil
society, international organizations, press, etc.
Democratic Republic of Congo (RDC) - The General Consulate of Kinshasa
of the ‘first Mission for the Children in the world’ will organize a
forum on the theme ‘the effects of war on the children of the RDC’.
Democratic Republic of Congo (RDC) – Centre Chrétien pour la
Protection de la Flore et de la Faune will organize activities uniting
State and church authorities, and children and parents.
Ghana - African Peace Network will organize a manifestation with school
children carrying posters, and theatre plays to educate the public to
end child abuse. Special recognition will be given to professionals
and parents for significant initiatives.
Kenya - Learning and Development Kenya will invite neighboring primary
school children and teachers, the District Commissioner, senior Government
officials and the press to mark the Day (songs, poems, and drawings
prepared by the children are on the agenda).
Nigeria - Child Defense Foundation will organize a press conference
to expose the dangers of the use of children as domestic servants. Radio
talks, debates and discussions by adults and children on topics of definition,
cause, consequences and intervention strategies for child abuse in the
Nigerian society are also planned. Proceedings of radio talks will be
published.
Nigeria – Christian Care Foundation will organize a Peace Walk in
Lagos by school children and youth, NGOs and other groups to present
signatures to the House of Assembly demanding enforcement of their fundamental
Rights as contained in the Nigerian Constitution in conformity with
the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The Gambia - Shelter for Children plans that the Canadian High Commissioner
to the Gambia in Senegal will launch their ‘Children's Rights Handbook’.
Togo - SOS Enfants Déshérités will organize a
conference and a cultural evening for children.
Togo – Organisation des Volontaires Acteurs du Developpement – Action
Plus (OVAD-AP) will sensitize children, parents and teachers about child
abuse (campaign: 9-19 November).
ASIA & PACIFIC
Australia - PR & Events Pty Ltd organizes the 8th Australian Conference
on Child Abuse & Neglect: 19 November - 22 November, linking the
conference with the World Day. 200 papers will be presented.
Bangladesh - National Federation of Youth Organisations in Bangladesh
organizes a child rally, projection of children films, and a round table
with representatives of children’s organizations.
India – Save the Children plans discussions on different forms of
violence and how to avoid victimization, as well as various competitions
in schools, and how NGOs can raise awareness about the different forms
of child abuse; to generate strategies to help prevention of abuse and
ways to rehailitate abused children; to propagate the issue of child
abuse and prevent victimization of children by working with networks
of institutions; to organize a South Asian Conference to combat trafficking
and sexual exploitation of children, bringing together partners from
India, Bangladesh and Nepal.
India - SLARTC (Socio-Legal Aid Research & Training Center) will
assemble adults and children to mark the Day.
India – SOUP (Society for underprivileged people) will translate most
of the World Fund for the Dignity of Children information including
its program "Protecting children from abuse" into Hindi (the
regional language) for mass distribution. SOUP created special earthen
lamps which will be given to 2001 families to light in commemoration
of the 19th November at 7:00 PM.
India - Youth Welfare Club plans public debates, seminars and workshops
with other organizations, teachers and experts. School children will
carry posters "Stop Child Labor / Child Abuse"
THE AMERICAS
Argentina - Casa de la Mujer in collaboration with Indeso-Mujer and
el Grupo Desde el pié translated the WWSF information for its
network. Several organizations publish the Day in their newsletters
and on web sites and organize a TV campaign. Moreover, three Parliament
members are working to proclaim the Day as National Day in Argentina.
Costa Rica - Fundación Paniamor organizes jointly with Save
the Children Sweden a regional meeting with 20 NGOs and experts on the
issue of family violence and child abuse (18 to 20 November) and major
conferences, workshops to align criteria for prevention and intervention.
A meeting with neighboring countries will focus on priority action.
Participating countries include Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras,
Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. Paniamor is preparing a Declaration
to have the Day be proclaimed a national Day in Costa Rica.
Ecuador - Instituto Ecuatoriano de las Naciones Unidas de Investigaciones
y Capacitación de la Mujer (IECAM - INSTRAW) plans to distribute
a book "El Maltrato a la Niña en el Ecuador", an Institutional
investigation.
Peru – Centro de Investigación y Estudios Económicos,
Educativos, Sociales y Culturales plans to organize workshops for media
representatives (radio, TV, newspapers, magazines) and prepare a document
for public and private institutions as well as a drawing competition
in all urban and rural zones. A child walk will be launched.
Paraguay – CEDAI (Centro de Asistencia Integral) adopted the WWSF
poster to announce their activities in 19 November.
EUROPE
Austria - the Organization ‘Prävention von Sexuellem Missbrauch
und Gewalt’ organizes a conference and workshops in collaboration with
the Vienna Network against sexual child abuse at the Volkshochschule
Ottakring.
France – the World Movement of Citizens to protect Innocence in Danger
will join the Woimen’s World Summit Foundation in front of the UN in
Geneva to demonstrate against the increasing danger of sexual child
abuse including on the Internet. 300 concerned individuals from all
over Europe will come to Geneva to join in the event, followed by a
press conference and by a commemoration with speakers and music at the
Temple de Fusterie.
Spain - The World Association of Early Childhood Educators will publish
the handbook "Protecting Children from Abuse" in its website,
in English and Spanish, and will send a special bulletin to its more
than 15.000 suscribers on the issue. Every issue of its weekly bulletin
during the month of November will feature a special story and specialized
links.
Switzerland – Fondation pour la Recherche des Enfants Disparus par
Internet (FREDI) plans an interdisciplinary day by and for children
to sensitize public opinion about children’s rights and child abuse:
children’s drawings will be shown in shop windows, prizes will be given
for writing competitions, texts and comic strips about the Convention
on the Rights of the Child, music and play.
Switzerland - International Council of Nurses (ICN) disseminates information
of its policy statement on the Rights of the Child, child labor, the
elimination of female genital mutilation, and the Girl Child. Throughout
its national associations in 124 countries ICN distributes fact sheets
training materials to governments, NGOs and others to combat child abuse
in all its forms.
Switzerland - Institut International des Droits de l'Enfant mentions
the World Day on its Internet platform and on-line newspaper as the
event of the month. It plans to go to Burma (12-15 November) to deal
with child exploitation and distribute WWSF's information.
Switzerland – Women’s World Summit Foundation WWSF organizes a two-day
workshop on how to create community ‘Circles of Compassion’ as well
as a public manifestation in front of the UN in Geneva to remind Governments
of their ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child,
and call on all citizens to integrate protection and preventions skills
in their education of children.
The Women's World Summit Foundation (WWSF) wishes to acknowledge and thank
Dr. Sherryll Kraizer, author of The Safe Child Program, for granting copy
right of "Protecting Children from Abuse. Dr. Kraizer is internationally
recognized for her prevention curricula, creating models for maximizing
community-wide participation in prevention efforts and her research on
program effectiveness, including what methods effect actual behavioral
change associated with reduction of risk. Dr. Kraizer is Executive Director
of the Coalition for Children and Member of the World Fund for the Dignity
of Children. WWSF is reproducing and disseminating her program on 'protecting
children from abuse' via its worldwide network of women's and children's
organizations.