ISPCAN regional resource centers: The impact to local professionals in child abuse and neglect

Each of the four regional resource centers: (Asia Resource Center in Chennai, India ; Arab Resource Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Latin American Resource Center in Patagonia, Argentina; African Resource Center in Durban,... [ view full abstract ]

Each of the four regional resource centers: (Asia Resource Center in Chennai, India ; Arab Resource Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Latin American Resource Center in Patagonia, Argentina; African Resource Center in Durban, South Africa) will show the impact they have had to meet the unique needs of their regions.

Many regions of the world have unique cultural and religious practices, as well as language barriers which require resources to be translated. Our goal is to reduce the isolation and lack of resources in remote regions, as well as increase the knowledge around culturally sensitive issues that impact child maltreatment. While the resources are primarily online, some paper brochures and pamphlets are available.

The purpose of the four ISPCAN regional resource centers is to coordinate trainings, provide support to CAN professionals, and help disseminate culturally relevant, region-specific resources, skills and knowledge in the region. Ultimately, the goal is for the centers to pilot and disseminate effective approaches to prevent, identify and treat violence against and sexual exploitation of children, develop and strengthen multidisciplinary stakeholder team work, improve public awareness, and advance policy to protect the rights of the child.

ISPCAN is partnering with ChildLine in South Africa, and CeVioF (Centro de Violencia Familiar) through its project PROCAPI (Proyecto de Capacitación en Temas de Maltrato y Abuso Infantil) and the National University of Patagonia San Juan Bosco, to develop and maintain the Africa and Latin American regional resource centers. In Saudi Arabia, we are working with the National Family Safety Program in Riyadh, while in India we partner with the Indian Council for Child Welfare based in Chennai.