Susanna Greijer
ECPAT International
Susanna Greijer holds a PhD and an LL.M. in International Law from the European University Institute and a Master's degree in International Affairs from Sciences Po Paris. She has been researching and working on children's rights and child protection since 2006, in particular on the issues of children in armed conflict and sexual violence against children. Susanna currently holds a position as legal expert on fundamental rights and children's rights at Brainiact, a Luxembourg-based research and consulting institute, and works as a consultant for ECPAT International and the Council of Europe on children's rights issues, mainly focusing on violence (including sexual violence) against children. She is also the project coordinator for ECPAT’s Interagency Terminology and Semantics Project.
Words matter because they affect how we conceptualise problems, prioritise issues, and forge responses. Inconsistent use of language and terms can lead to inconsistent laws and policy responses on the same issue. Until... [ view full abstract ]
Words matter because they affect how we conceptualise problems, prioritise issues, and forge responses. Inconsistent use of language and terms can lead to inconsistent laws and policy responses on the same issue.
Until recently, there had been no consensus at the international level on the terms or language that should be employed to describe conduct amounting to sexual exploitation. The absence of any such agreement has impacted the global fight to eradicate sexual exploitation and abuse of children at different levels. For instance, confusion in the use of language and terms and the existence of diverging definitions and interpretations of key issues have contributed to: inconsistencies in the protection afforded to children at the national level; inaccuracy or imprecision in data collection and identification of different modalities of sexual exploitation and abuse; and to weakening advocacy work. Moreover, several of the terms used in this context are stigmatising or otherwise harmful to victims of sexual exploitation and abuse.
In 2016, the Interagency Working Group, composed of representatives from UN agencies, child rights NGOs, and law enforcement agencies, adopted and published the “Terminology Guidelines for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse” (“Luxembourg Guidelines”). The Luxembourg Guidelines are currently (2017-2018) being adapted into several other languages and will become increasingly available to child protection professionals all over the world.
The objective of the presentation is to present the Luxembourg Guidelines and their importance in the work against child sexual exploitation and sexual abuse. The presentation will provide a general overview, but also give some concrete examples on why and how a harmonised terminology can both strengthen protection work and be beneficial for the victims.
