Post on 26-Mar-2020
UNICEF–EAPROLanguageandCulturalConsiderationsforChild
Protection
10thNovember2010
Background:
Whatischildprotection?
Whydoesitmatter?
Whataretheimplications?
SomeIssuesforconsiderationintermsofculture
andlanguage
CRCDefinitionofChildProtection
‘State par(es shall take all appropriate legisla(ve,administra(ve, social and educa(onal measures toprotect the child from all forms of physical or mentalviolence, injury or abuse, neglect and negligenttreatment, maltreatment or exploita(on, including
sexual abuse, while in the care of parent (s), legalguardian (s) or any other person who has the care ofthe child.’
Ar(cle 19, CRC.
CRCConcludingObservations: Data– Partial,Insufficient,uncoordinated,– Notsystematicandoftennotdisaggregated– discriminatedorexcludedpopulations,e.g.childrenwithdisabilities,– Persistentlackofcomprehensivedataonchildprotectionissues,i.e.childsexualabuse,commercialsexualexploitation,childtrafficking,sextourism,violence,neglect,abandonment,childrenininstitutions,childreninconflictwiththelaw
SignificantHarm: Definesthethresholdthatjustifiescompulsoryinterventioninfamilylifeintheinterestsofchildren.
Noabsolutecriteriaforwhatconstitutessignificantharm. Considerationoftheseverityofill-treatment:– thedegreeandtheextentofphysicalharm,– thedurationandfrequencyofabuseandneglect,– theextentofpremeditation,– degreeofthreatandcoercion,sadism,andbizarreorunusualelements
asingletraumaticevent:e.g.aviolentassault,suffocationorpoisoning.
acompilationofevents-acuteandlong-standing,whichinterrupt,changeordamagethechild’sphysical,emotionalandpsychologicaldevelopment.
Childsexualabuseprevalenceestimatesbysub-regionandsex
Female% Male%
Africa(highmortality) 21.3 9.6
Africa(veryhighmortality) 42.7 29.8
LatinAmerica/Caribbean 13.3 20.0
EasternMediterranean 28.0 11.5
EastAsia&Pacific 27.8 28.6Andrews et al., Child sexual abuse, WHO, 2004
ToxicStressDamagesBrainArchitecture
• Excessiveandrepeatedstresscausesthereleaseofchemicalsthatimpaircellgrowthandinterferewiththeformationofhealthyneuralcircuitsinthebrain
• Toxicstresscandamagethebrain'sstressresponsesystemandcontributetoprematureageingofthebody
Healthy brain
Abused brain
Impactofchildneglectonbraindevelopment
These images illustrate the nega/ve impact of neglect on the developing brain.Le9: CT scan of healthy 3 yr old with average head size. Right: 3 yr old childsuffering from severe sensory‐depriva/on neglect. Brain is significantly smallerthan average and has abnormal development of cortex
Early nurture impacts on developmental outcomes
Consequencesofchildmaltreatment
ChildMaltreatment
Health-risk behavioursSexual promiscuitySexual violenceAlcohol abuseIllicit / injecting drug useSmokingBehaviour problemsMental / social problemsPTSDDepressionAnxietyEating disordersCognitive developmentUnwanted pregnancyObesityRepeat victimization
Diseases and injuriesIschemic heart diseaseDiabetesStrokeCancerSuicideSkeletal fracturesChronicbronchitis/emphysemaAsthmaSTDS (e.g. HIV)Hepatitis
Implications: Impairmentofbrainfunctioning-reductioninhumancapacity;
Pooreducationalachievement/schooldropout; Erraticemploymentpattern/unskilledwork; Highriskbehaviour;drugandalcoholabuse; Earlypregnancy/poorparenting; Inabilitytomaintainrelationships Earlyonsetofchronicdisease Familyseparation/institutionalization Cycleofpoverty/cycleofviolence;
CostsofChildProtection:
“Wefindanincidencerateforchildabuseandneglectthatisabouttentimesashighastheincidencerateforallformsofcancer.Thereisamulti-billion-dollarresearchbasereliablyrenewedonanannualbasisforcancertreatmentandprevention.Nothingremotelysimilartothisexistsfor(thepreventionofandresponseto)childabuseandneglect.”
FrankPutnam,M.D.,researcherattheNationalInstituteofMentalHealth,from“WhyIsItsoDifficultfortheEpidemicofChildAbusetobeTakenSeriously?”Handout:“TheCostsandConsequencesofChildAbuse”byFrankW.Putnam.
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Needforoutcomeevaluationstudies
TheEcologicalFramework:CulturalAssets
ResearchandStudies:
Mainlyincountrieswith‘developed’ChildProtectionSystems:
Systemsemergefromdominantculture; Pre-existingor‘immigrant’groups; Statisticallysmallresearchnumbers; Understandingtherealitiesofminority,indigenousorexcludedgroups;
Thevalueofculturaldiversityandmulti-lingualismtochilddevelopment
DiversityandCulture: Differences in, and abuse of power Discrimination, stigma and exclusion Context : inter-personal relations; societal
structures; institutional. Values and perspectives of child rearing , child
development and child protection; Exploring the ecological framework, risks and
cultural assets; Nexus of social values and customs as
powerful sources of child protection; Culture is dynamic /groups not homogeneous;
ExploringLanguageandChildProtection Linksbetweencultureandlanguage;
ImportanceofaccessintheChildProtectiontask;
Theuseofinterpreters;considerations,
Theuseandabuseoflanguage:VictoriaClimbie, ChildRightstoProtection:“…the rights granted to
children should, in their localization andimplementation, bear the local cultural fingerprintingwithout, however, extinguishing the essential core ofthe right itself.”
IssuesandRecommendations: Utilizingculturalassetsapproach:understandingriskandresiliencefactors,supportingdiversity,
Trainingforprofessionalstaff;culturalcompetence;understandingdiscrimination;multi-agencyframeworkforpreventionandresponse;
Effectiveresourcing:trainedstaff;appropriateinterpreters;morefrequentandshorterinterviews;crosssectoralsupport;
IncorporatingInnovativeAssessmentTools;terminology;descriptiveandsubstantiveinformationcollection;groupandindividualassessment;dialogueandobservation;accesstoappropriatetools;