"We protect children"- A systemic and comprehensive approach to protection of children from abuse

In Poland there are no statutory requirements on safeguarding children in schools or other institutions providing children with care, education and entertainment. According to the several studies (NCF 2006, 2009, Ministry of... [ view full abstract ]

In Poland there are no statutory requirements on safeguarding children in schools or other institutions providing children with care, education and entertainment. According to the several studies (NCF 2006, 2009, Ministry of Labor 2009) professionals in Poland had no sufficient knowledge and skills to protect children from abuse. NCF’s 2009 survey showed that individuals best equipped to help abused and exploited children, i.e. teachers, failed to react to such situations in 50% of cases.
In 2010 a Polish NGO launched a child abuse prevention programme “We protect children” to promote a strategic approach to child protection so that all education and care institutions apply the same standards of protecting children from violence and abuse. It is achieved by introducing a child protection policy in education and care institutions and by providing these institutions with services and tools to improve the staff and parents’ skills in protecting children from abuse. Another objective is to increase children’s knowledge about how to avoid threats and where to seek help and support in difficult life situations. Education and care institutions that meet the standards of protecting children from violence and abuse are granted a special certificate.
In the first stage, programme was piloted in several districts of Warsaw. Since 2013 it has been scaled-up and implemented throughout Poland. Until January 2006, 2240 care and education institutions joined the programme. In 2015 due to the success of the programme in the education sector it was launched in reception centres for asylum seekers.
The intervention will present the example of systemic approach to child abuse prevention implemented in cooperation with different public agencies. Secondly, challenges, opportunities as well as the tools, methods and techniques of scaling up of a small grass-root project will be discussed.