child helplines: empowering & protecting children
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Child Helplines: Empowering & Protecting Children. Afrooz Kaviani Johnson Regional Technical Director Project Childhood Prevention Pillar Hanoi, Vietnam - 26 November 2013. An initiative of the Australian Government. A program to protect children from sexual exploitation in tourism. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Child Helplines: Empowering & Protecting ChildrenAfrooz Kaviani JohnsonRegional Technical DirectorProject Childhood Prevention Pillar
Hanoi, Vietnam - 26 November 2013
A program to protect children from sexual
exploitation in tourism
An initiative of the Australian Government
Implemented by World Vision (Prevention) and UNODC / INTERPOL
(Protection)
Operating in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and
Vietnam
Project Childhood
Key areas of work1. Building community resilience2. Enhancing national information and communication
mechanisms3. Supporting the tourism sector to build a child safe
environment4. Technical assistance to government5. Coordination, cooperation, research and
communications
Our approach
1. Child sexual abuse is a global problem.
2. Girls and boys can be victims of abuse.
3. Children usually know their abuser.
4. Abusers can befriend victims and their families.
5. Children don’t always speak up about abuse.
6. Child sexual abuse is against the law.
7. All children have the right to protection.
Child sexual abuse – the facts
• Limited understanding about ‘sexual abuse’ (penetrative rape only)
• Limited understanding about who is an offender (strangers and outsiders, foreigners)
• Overemphasis on girls’ virginity / insufficient protection of boys
Findings from communities
• Limited formal education / peers and media have huge influence (risk of incorrect information)
• Parental resistance to sex education / limited understanding of risks and participation in prevention efforts
• Significant use of ICT / anonymity
Findings from communities
Educating girls and boys
Educating parents and carers
Educating community duty bearers
Strengthening national helplines
The role of Child Helplines in preventing child sexual abuse
Children:
• Girls and boys.
• Aged between 0-18 years old.
• Any economic bracket – although frequently poor.
• Any education level – although often little schooling.
• Often victims of other forms of abuse and exploitation.
Who are the victims?
Who are the victims?Cases studies and reports of victims of sexual exploitation have often reported suffering from a lack of support and guidance, which can push them to run away from home or migrate unsafely (often to tourism destinations) and become vulnerable to exploitation
The importance of helplines• Children can reach out directly, before, during or after
abuse and access confidential advice and information• Helplines provides the specific intervention to a specific
child at the moment when she or he is most receptive
Partnerships with Child Helplines• Child Helpline Vietnam• Child Helpline Cambodia• Vientiane Youth Centre for Health and Development (Lao
PDR)
For more information:Email: [email protected] Website: www.childsafetourism.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/childsafetourism twitter: @childsafetravel