Child Protection in the Philippines
Children in Situations of Abuse
a proposed approach in designing intervention strategies
Children in Situations of Abuse-- Draft Framework for Analysis and Action
Arci Cultura E Sviluppo
E-mail: [email protected]
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
ANNEX A: CHILDREN IN SITUATIONS OF ABUSE—DRAFT FRAMEWORK FOR ANALYSIS AND ACTION
ARCS – ARCI CULTURA E SVILUPPO - ITALY
Children in Situations of Abuse
a proposed approach in designing intervention strategies
Framework for Analysis and Action (FAA)
ARCS WORKING PAPER (draft version #2):
The Philippine Context
Introduction/Rationale
The purpose of this paper is to summarize a series of suggestions in
order to address issues on strategies and programmes in response to violence,
maltreatment and abuse perpetrated on children. The idea of producing a
Framework for Analysis and Action (FAA) started from the realization that,
in many occasions, the issue of “child abuse” is approached in a generic
way and doesn’t serve the function of describing a whole range of phenomena
which substantially differ both in structure and nature.
An abusive event should be conceived as the extreme consequence of
several interdependent conditions. Therefore, in order to identify, plan
and implement appropriate strategies of intervention, it is necessary to
define it in the context of its different causes and structural features.
Starting from the Situation of the Filipino child in situations of
abuse and the basic articles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
which relate to the issue and other relevant guiding principles in children’s
work, the present paper will draw a possible methodological path in order
to identify some criteria which could be used in designing a comprehensive
and systemic strategy for prevention, protection and rehabilitation, in
response to child abuse phenomena. The paper will end by identifying some
basic core actions to be kept in consideration in formulating and undertaking
interventions at different levels.
It is recognized that the key actor in this context are the Filipino
children themselves. In various issues revolving around children, there
has been a major gap in identifying with the children as key actors or
participants in the process. There will therefore be this push in the paper
to highlight the issue of children’s participation in various aspects beyond
tokenism and towards operational contextualization.
This document is addressed to professionals, agencies and organizations
who are presently working on issues related to the child abuse phenomena
in the Philippines. As stated above, it is a working document, which has
been drafted with the intention to improve ARCS activities but also to
stimulate the discussion and to share different perspectives.
It is recognized that a wide range of ideas, suggestions and comments will
help improve this document-in-progress. Therefore ARCS welcomes any possible
correction, contribution or integration of contents to this second version
of the Working Draft on Children in Situations of Abuse.
The Filipino Child in Situations of Abuse
Socio-cultural factors that may precondition a situation of abuse.
About half of the Filipino population are children, yet because they are most often forgotten as critical participants in national or local processes which directly or indirectly affect their lives, they are often neglected, if not totally ignored.
In general, various societal factors may complement to either disempower or empower children in their daily lives. These are relevant to the issue of abuse because one major dimension of children in situations of abuse is the question of power relations between the child and the source of abuse or perpetrator.
Economic downtrends have forced more and more children into the labor sector. In a national survey on working children conducted by the NSO in collaboration with the International Labor Organizations-International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labor (ILO-IPEC) in July 1995, results showed that out of 22.4 million Filipino children aged 5-17 years; 16 per cent or 3.7 million were working children. This picture is just the tip of the iceberg considering the Philippines, along with other nations of Asia, was hardest hit by the economic crisis in the years 1997 and 1998. Further detrimental effects of this crisis can therefore be considered into the picture.
Working children are placed in a situation of power relation vis-à-vis their employers which, when exploited by the more “powerful” adult employer, can lead to a situation of abuse.
Cultural factors may also influence or create conditions which affect children’s power position within their social groups and therefore may expose them to situations of abuse. In majority of Filipino households, adults view children as chattels, items of property with which they can do as they please. Issues of child rearing and discipline for example, were largely untouchable areas outside of the extended family set-up and therefore, children were mostly at the mercy of their parents or immediate significant others. This may explain why the Bantay Bata program jointly launched by DSWD and media was not able to surface a significantly large number of cases because as far as the neighbors are concerned, the issue of disciplining methods of parents is beyond their jurisdiction.
Various religious beliefs and practices which a sizeable majority of the population adhere to, also play a dominant role in cultural transactions within the family which may affect a child’s power position and decision-making role. There is a demand for unquestioning loyalty from children towards their parents or adult authority figures, children are made subservient to the demands and wishes of their significant adults.
Media also plays a critical role in forming adult perception of the child. Usually, stories on children are given space in print media or air time in broadcast media only if these are about heinous crimes or something out of the ordinary. Painting a more realistic situation of the Filipino child has been among the least of media’s concerns because of the largely commercial policies influencing media programs. There have been recent inroads among media practitioners and policy makers in highlighting children’s rights as an offshoot of the August 21, 1990 affirmation by the Philippine government of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. But note these are recent developments and it is quite soon to judge the impact of such re-education on the large part of the populace.
Education on children’s rights is largely inconsistent. Curricula at
all levels still have to be modified to reflect the inclusion of children’s
rights and human rights as a basic course in education.
State-of-the-Practice: Intervention Strategies and Problems
Inconsistencies in frameworks being used by various organizations.
Current practice of various child-orientated organizations focusing
on child abuse have varying definitions of abuse based on varying frameworks
they adhere to. There is no common and concerted effort to address the
problem from documentation to prevention to diagnosis and recovery and
reintegration.
The legal framework is largely based on Republic Act 7610 or the Special
Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination
Act which defines abuse as the “maltreatment, whether habitual or not,
of the child which includes any of the following:
psychological and physical abuse, neglect, cruelty, sexual abuse,
and emotional maltreatment;
any act by deeds of words which debases, degrades, or demeans
the intrinsic worth and dignity of a child as a human being;
unreasonable deprivation of his basic needs for survival, such
as food and shelter, or
failure to immediately give medical treatment to an injured child
resulting in serious impairment of his growth and development or in his
permanent incapacity or death.
Attempts to further clarify the definition of abuse are made by considering
elements of cruelty, physical injury, psychological injury, neglect, sexual
abuse, lascivious conduct and exploitation as part of the phenomenon.
The Bio-medical Framework focuses on the harmful medical or physiological effects of abuse on the child. Child abuse is seen as a serious medical syndrome, made all the more insidious because it appears to be self-perpetuating since a significant proportion of perpetrators were themselves abused as children. Targets of intervention are therefore focused on the elimination of these effects and fall more on the rehabilitation or recovery and reintegration sphere of intervention strategies.
The Social Welfare Framework relies on relatively cut-and-dried cases
categorized according to:
sexual abuse, which includes rape, incest, acts of lasciviousness,
and attempted rape;
physical abuse/maltreatment;
sexual exploitation, which includes prostitution, pedophilia
and pornography;
neglect;
child labor exploitation and slavery;
illegal recruitment;
missing/victims of trafficking;
mental/emotional abuse;
children in situations of armed conflict; and
streetchildren.
The Children’s Rights Framework is based on the competency model which
highlights the child’s inner strength and resources as a major key to the
process of healing. While many child-focused organizations claim to apply
this framework, actual practice shows inconsistencies as to the push and
pull between the rights-based and the needs-based framework.
The Crisis Intervention Framework considers the child as a survivor
of the violative situation and looks at the personal, interpersonal and
social factors which may serve as assets in the child’s coping process.
This framework, while strengthening the psycho-social component of the
intervention, is as much a part of the rehabilitation or recovery and reintegration
sphere of intervention strategies as the bio-medical framework
The need for a more specific analysis of different abusive phenomena
It is important at this point to highlight that children find themselves in varying situations of abuse. Sexual abuse perpetrated on minors, sexual exploitation, maltreatment, neglect, infantile paedo-pornography are just some of various phenomena that have in common an act of commission (physical and/or psychological violence) or ommission towards children. In spite of their dramatic similarities, and the relationships linking these phenomena, they differ both qualitatively and quantitatively. That is to say, the circumstances in which the event of abuse takes place may differ, and may be determined by various problems and factors.
Despite this differentiation, the analysis and the implementation of
policies and strategies to respond to these different phenomena are still
influenced by a generic approach, which tends to consider the situations
in which the child becomes victim of an act of violence without their due
specificity. This “confusion of terms” and lack of specificity often leads
to the development and adoption of programmes and actions:
* which are not suitable to contrast the various phenomena;
* which are not effecting the causal factors giving rise to them;
* which are not properly considering the peculiar cultural and social
setting in which an abusive event, in its various possible features, takes
place.
An approach to the phenomena of child abuse based on the notion of children’s
rights, for example, should require:
1. specific analysis and understanding of the various contextual situations
in which abuse takes place;
2. a multi-disciplinary and multi-sectorial analysis and strategy applicable
to different levels: the child, the family, the community and the institutions;
3. a consideration of the right of the child not to undergo physical,
psychological or sexual violence, in the context of a respect for all the
other rights listed in the CRC.
In order to formulate and implement an adequate response to the phenomena of child abuse, based on a holistic or integrated” approach, as proposed in numerous declarations of intent, there would thus appear to be a clear need to identify suitable instruments and methodological models.
We are not able to judge with accuracy the extent of the problem.
The extent of the problem is so far largely hidden because of incomplete
data collection, inconsistent handling of cases and low level of consciousness
on the issue.
The UNICEF 1997 report on the Situation of Children and Women in the Philippines emphasizes that while reported cases are increasing, accuracy as to the extent of the problem cannot be gaged because of cultural perceptions which compartmentalize abuse within the realm of the private and the personal (sikolohiyang pilipino). Abuse is seen as a highly sensitive issue, leading to inadequacies in the reporting system.
Reporting of child abuse is not mandatory for all outside of the medical community. There is no centralized data bank on such cases. Varying definitions of abuse also tend to muddle the picture of children in situations of abuse.
According to reported cases however, sexual abuse and exploitation,
rape, physical abuse and incest are the more common forms of abuse on children
in decreasing order of prevalence.
Guiding Principles on Work with Children in Situations of Abuse
Consistent definition
The first step that needs to be taken is to increase and unite efforts
to understand the phenomena, veering away from generic prescriptions
towards a deeper appreciation of the nature and structure of each subtype
of the phenomena as well as the qualitative and quantitative distinctions
across the varying subtypes. Understanding the scope and nature of all
these subtypes is integral to developing sound intervention strategies
and thereby decreasing our reliance on assumptions and isolated decision-making
which are not supported by the actual conditions and complexities attendant
to the problem. Furthermore, policies, programs and resources can be tailored
to avoid efforts that target the wrong problems or population and instead
focus on those who need it most.
It is remarkable that until recently, in definitions put forward on the question of child abuse, it is usually the adults’ perception of the problem that is mostly considered. Preliminary results of a recent study commissioned by ARCS shows that when children participate in the process of defining the phenomenon, clarity is achieved as far as the intra-personal and family settings are concerned. This follows the logic that since abuse is a subjective concept which involves a continuum of acts of commission or ommission that ranges from the acceptable to the unacceptable, who better to define that blurry demarcation line of unacceptability than the survivors of abuse?
The same study identifies three factors that children use to define
unacceptability: intent, excessiveness (again, a subjective factor) and
justification (or the reason for the act of commission or ommission). While
these results give us a glimpse of an entirely different dimension of the
problem where children are participants in the process, the action-research
is limited to a small study population and needs to be replicated within
a wider demographic profile of children.
Consistent complementarity of frameworks
The Convention on the Rights of the Child Paradigm: Relevant Rights
and Basic Articles
The right to life, the right to survival and the right to development
(Art. 6) are included among the principles which lay the foundation
of the International Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). In a
general sense we can affirm that a child abuse phenomenon involves all
the conditions which, directly or indirectly, hinder the implementation
and application of these rights.
The CRC offers a further specification of these principles in Art.
19, which establishes the right of the child to be protected from all forms
of physical or psychological violence, and charges institutions with the
responsibility for implementing and enforcing the necessary legislative,
administrative, social and educational measures, in order to protect and
rehabilitate children who are actual or potential victims of such situations.
Art. 34 lists the obligations connected with the protection of children
from all forms of sexual abuse or exploitation. Besides specifying the
various forms of sexual exploitation, this article also contemplates the
implementation of national, bilateral and multilateral agreements to support
initiatives aiming to combat and respond to abusive events.
Art. 39 obliges states to promote all the necessary measures for the
physical and psychological recovery and the social reintegration of victims
of child abuse.
Article 12 emphasizes respect for the views of the child. The child
who is capable of forming his or her own views has the right to express
those views freely in ALL matters affecting the child, the views of the
child being given due weight in accordance with the age and maturity of
the child.
Article 13 reiterates the child’s right to freedom of expression. This
right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and
ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing
or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of the child’s
choice. There is a restriction to this right however, in so far as respect
of the rights or reputation of others as well as the protection of national
security or of public order, or of public health or morals are concerned.
Children’s active participation in matters concerning them are encouraged
in Article 15 which recognizes the rights of the child to freedom of association
and peaceful assembly. Here, it is urged that efforts be undertaken to
develop new channels, including membership of associations, through which
children may make their views known and have them taken into account.
The Committee on the rights of the child, set up in accordance with
Art. 43 of the CRC with the task of monitoring the implementation of the
Convention in signatory states, underlines that the Convention does not
consider only sexual abuse or exploitation, but “adopts a holistic approach
to the human rights of children. In the light of this approach, all rights
are recognised as intrinsic to the human dignity of the child, and the
implementation of a single right becomes effective only in the context
of the fulfilment and respect of all the other rights of the child. Fundamentally,
the Convention reaffirms the indivisibility and interdependence of human
rights ... The protection of the child from all forms of exploitation,
such as sale, prostitution or pornography, is not to be considered in isolation,
but in the wider context of the respect for children’s rights, in accordance
with the international agreements established by the Convention.”
The holistic approach formulated in the CRC, makes quite clear that:
a “rights oriented” perspective should lead to fully face the
complexity and the specificity of children abusive events;
b. it is necessary to relate this complexity to contextual elements
which are part of the immediate environment of the child (family,
community, local institution); and
c. it is absolutely crucial to relate the same complexity to the global
socio-economic context with whom the child has an indirect but not less
relevant relation;
Therefore the efforts aimed at identifying appropriate interventions should be directed to “spell out” and translate the principles proposed by the CRC in concrete plans, strategies and activities. The concrete application of such principles constitutes an obligation for all the Nations which through ratification, took up the commitment and the obligation to work for a full endorsement of the Convention at different level of their societies.
Many children’s organizations have, in practical terms, made headway in pursuing the realization of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and put value in the CRC framework’s recognition of the severity with which societal conditions effect on the child. Organizations who are in the forefront of the children’s movement for social transformation have pointed out however, that the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child disregards the issue of accountability of the ruling power as far the situation of the nation’s children is concerned. It is therefore deemed insufficient if used as the only guiding framework in viewing the phenomenon, especially if this is considered at the level of macro- systems.
The Resiliency Paradigm
This paradigm focuses on the interaction between protective internal
factors and resilient factors within the children that allow them not only
to survive adversities but also to grow stronger because of such adversities.
Resilience is defined as the capacity to withstand, recover, and even grow
from negative experiences. This paradigm takes inspiration from studies
(e.g., Werner, 1955) which show children caught up in adversity who nevertheless
do well in their later lives. Many studies have identified some critical
factors associated with the resilience of some children, including external
supports and resources available to the child, personal strengths that
the child develops, and social interpersonal skills the child acquires.
This paradigm allows children survivors of situations of abuse to be active
participants in the process of detection, definition and intervention.
The Systems Approach proposes a process of dynamic accommodation between a child and the changing nature of his or her immediate environment. This process of accommodation is mediated by the nature of the larger and more complicated settings in which the accommodation is taking place. It recognizes that interconnections between the various settings can be as decisive for development as events taking place within a given setting. Development is seen as the person’s evolving conception of the ecological environment, and his relation to it, as well as the person’s growing capacity to discover, sustain, or alter its properties.
From among the so many frameworks being put forward, the three mentioned above are seen as the more viable options. These three do not contradict with each other and in fact, each of the three frameworks enhance the strengths and fill in the gaps in the other two. In complementing each other, the three frameworks are able to address a wide range of concerns as far as the child abuse phenomenon is concerned, from those that are internal to the child (like the child’s resilient factors) to the macro-level factors (such as global economic systems indirectly redounding on the situation of the child).
Uniform documentation protocols
Unified definitions and data elements make possible more in-depth comparative
and causal studies on the phenomenon. Developing fine-tuned intervention
strategies on the various aspects of the phenomenon are also dependent
on uniform data gathering and recording protocols to allow for statistical
analyses which are based on a relatively large population.
Towards a Framework for the Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation (PPR) of Children in Situations of Abuse
In order to achieve a precise definition of the scope of the phenomena,
the three operational criteria of PPR are specified as follows. In fact,
these three categories, in the relationship of interdependence which connect
them, create a systemic pattern which could operationalize the scope of
the phenomenon.
PREVENTION
Three levels of prevention may be identified: primary, secondary, and tertiary.
Primary prevention refers to the various actions which are not specifically
designed to prevent situations of abuse, but which may, however, favour
a "general improvement" of the context, which in turn is likely to determine
a reduction in situations of risk and a reinforcement of protection factors.
Some examples: favouring the development, in a community of a culture regarding
children, aiding parents in their relationships with their children, empowering
the ability and skills of teachers to communicate and listen, to understand
and promote children's rights, etc. This level of prevention is directly
linked to the aims and the general guidelines of the action (e.g. in cases
where conditions of child abuse are believed to derive most probably from
a scanty knowledge of the child and childhood in general, a child-based
culture is promoted, as an action tending to reduce potential conditions
of abuse).
Secondary prevention refers to actions based on a more detailed analysis of the phenomenon, which identify a series of specific actions. Some examples: an information campaign about situations of child abuse, teacher training on the subject. Actions of secondary prevention do not yet define a precise reference target closely connected to the phenomenon, and may be considered to be a specification of the level of primary prevention (e.g. it emerges from a series of data and information that teachers are not sufficiently well prepared to deal with possible reports of child abuse, and as a result, actions are undertaken aiming to empower the capacities and skills of this professional category on this specific aspect).
Tertiary prevention refers to actions which, on the basis of a quantitative
and qualitative analysis of the phenomenon leading to an indication of
contexts and groups where there are higher risk factors, give rise to activities
designed for specific groups and subjects. A few examples: an information
campaign to be carried out among poor, recently evacuated urban communities,
psycho-social support for families at risk. This level may be differentiated
from the preceding one because it identifies the target on the basis of
risk factors or connection with practices of child abuse (e.g. an analysis
shows that child abuse is particularly frequent in situations where the
father is either unemployed or an alcoholic, and so a plan of prevention
is designed aiming to offer psycho-social support to families living in
these conditions). The more progress we make in identifying these degrees
of prevention, the more the notion of prevention takes on protective features.
At this level, we may also include the implementation of activities aiming
to strengthen the capacities and the instruments of identification and
detection of the phenomenon.
The various levels of PREVENTION deal with the different levels of
the child’s interrelated systems, from the macro to the micro.
PROTECTION
Protection is to be considered as an operational criterion, in relation
to the potential occurrence of an event of child abuse, its actual occurrence,
and the possibility that it may be repeated. Actions that revolve
around protection as an operational category target identified groups of
children population which are most at risk.
Also in this case, we may distinguish three levels of analysis and
action: primary, secondary and tertiary protection.
Primary protection does not refer to a specific phenomenon of child
abuse, but to the empowerment of a series of conditions aiming to defend
identified groups of children from its possible occurrence. In this sense,
there is a close similarity with the levels of prevention: the empowerment
of preventive conditions also guarantees a certain level of protection,
e.g. if the community is sensitive to the phenomenon of child abuse, girl
children of that community will be more protected as a result. On this
level, it is also possible to identify the systems of participation, the
subjects and services that can guarantee protection, the risk factors,
and the legislative reference framework.
Secondary protection involves the various measures which aim to guarantee
the non-occurrence of a phenomenon of child abuse, in situations where
the risk is identified. For example, assistance for maltreated mothers,
separation of the child from the family nucleus, where necessary. One problem
which crops up at this level is that up to the moment of the occurrence
of child abuse, even if a situation of risk has been identified, it is
difficult to implement protective action. Measures to carry out detection
and investigation may also be included at this level. Special measures
must be adopted for children without a family or in a children’s home,
in order to guarantee protection where the levels of vulnerability are
highest.
Tertiary protection includes all the measures that assist the child,
once the phenomenon of child abuse has been identified, by avoiding the
possible repetition of the event, and guaranteeing his participation in
the appropriate levels of rehabilitation. This level also includes the
measures of repression and legal proceedings required in order to avoid
the recurrence of the event. It is in this category that there is a particular
need for synergy among different services, in order to guarantee not only
repression, but also sanitary, psychological and psycho-social assistance
in rehabilitation. Tertiary protection is the aspect that is closest to
rehabilitation.
HEALING AND RECOVERY
Healing and recovery refers to the programme of assistance for children
and families which must be implemented once the situation of child abuse
has been identified and stopped. This process includes the initial help,
medical and psychological assistance, and social reintegration. We will
once again divide this point into three levels, in order to arrive at a
better definition of the elements that characterise this operational criterion:
The first level (initial aid and assumption of responsibility) includes
the various actions aiming to give the child the necessary initial assistance,
by separating him from the circumstances of child abuse, and supplying
medical, psychological and legal aid. This is the level where an analysis
of the case needs to be carried out, and a system of services needs to
be set up, including a course of healing and support in which qualified
institutions “assume responsibility” for the child.
The second level (rehabilitation) includes psychotherapy for the child
and the family; this means the implementation of a programme of support
whose aim is to reintegrate the child, if possible, into the structure
of the family and the community, following a plan involving different structures.
The characteristic of this level is the reconstruction of reference points
capable of countering the de-structive effects and the psychological trauma
caused by the act of child abuse.
The third level (follow-up and social reintegration) corresponds to
a series of measures of medium-term and long-term aid, designed to help
the child and the family in the process of reintegration in society, at
school and at work. At this level, adequate measures of assistance must
be guaranteed for the mother, or whoever is taking care of the child.
As underlined above, the three categories of prevention, protection
and healing/recovery stand in a relationship of interdependence and continuity,
without which the effectiveness and feasibility of the activities cannot
be guaranteed.
The figure on page 11 illustrates the systemic relationship of dependence between the various dimensions and how, at their central intersection, the child is both a survivor and a participant in the process. Where the three dimensions (prevention, protection, healing/recovery) intersect, we find program strategies that target a multitude of factors enhancing a child’s capacity to rise above the situationof abuse.
Strategies: From the analysis to 9 Basic Core Actions (BCA)
The framework as shown in page 11 can be translated into a series of basic core actions that are needed in order to orient strategies and programmes which will target the different levels (the child, the family, the community, the local institutions) in the various field.
BCA 1. RESEARCH and DOCUMENTATION OF DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THE PHENOMENON
The various programmes and activities must be based on a systematic
observation of various aspects of the phenomena, bringing together all
existing data and research, co-ordinating them, and developing general
and specific sets of quantitative and qualitative indicators. This observation
system should be implemented on a local, regional and national basis, and
should prepare the necessary instruments for the communication of uniform
data elements and information to the different levels within a particular
aspect of the phenomenon. The observation system will also guarantee the
possibility of evaluating the impact of actions and services undertaken.
This is especially critical in the Philippine context as the UNICEF 1997
Situation of Children and Women in the Philippines acknowledges that
while there has been an increasing number of reported cases of abuses against
children, the correct number is likely to be inaccurate. Researches into
the problem must be action-oriented, considering that most of the cases
require immediate action and attention, whatever phase the research process
may be in.
BCA 2. MAPPING THE EXISTING RESOURCES ALONG WITH THE MAPPING OF
THE QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE PICTURE OF DIFFERENT PHENOMENON
This basic core action is undeniably linked with the first mentioned
above. It is necessary to draw a map of all existing resources operating
in prevention, protection and rehabilitation. This map should lead to the
creation of a detailed territorial referral system which can be implemented
and utilised by different agencies and institutions at the various
levels. When juxtaposed with the map
of the qualitative and quantitative picture of different phenomenon,
gaps in intervention will easily be pinpointed.
BCA 3. ADVOCACY ON THE ISSUE OF CHILDREN IN SITUATIONS OF ABUSE
Both direct and indirect spheres of influence are acknowledged to eventually
have a developmental impact on the child as acknowledged by the systems
approach. It is important that advocacy actions addressed to macro-level
structures which may precondition situations of abuse on children are also
considered a valid strategy to address the problem, especially on the prevention
aspect.
BCA 4. DEVELOPING NORMATIVE GUIDELINES IN THE HANDLING OF LEGAL CASES
OF CHILD ABUSE
There is a need for adequate normative guidelines, in order to facilitate
and empower prevention, protection and rehabilitative actions. In this
sense, legal procedures involving children need to be revised, in order
not to expose them to further traumatic experiences. Education on the multidisciplinary
handling of children in various stages of the legal procedure will take
center stage, addressed to the various actors in the process—the children,
their families, the fiscals, the judge, the police, the social welfare
BCA 5. NETWORKING AND INTEGRATING EXISTING RESOURCES AND
SERVICES
Given the need for a multidisciplinary approach in order to combat
the phenomenon, it is necessary to carry out an analysis and a structural
revision of the policies at the basis of the services for the different
sectors, and to reach an agreement of co-operation among them. In this
sense, collaboration between Institutions and NGO’s would appear
to be particularly important.
BCA 6. TRAINING OF GENERIC AND SPECIALISED WORKERS
The acquisition of generic and specialised skills is a necessary basis
in order to guarantee the effectiveness of actions at the various levels.
Training should increase the ability to listen, as well as providing the
necessary socio-sanitary and legal information for workers coming into
contact with the phenomenon and with children.
BCA7. ENHANCING AND INTEGRATING INTERVENTIONS AT THE COMMUNITY LEVEL
Child-focused interventions at the community level have mostly steered
clear of the child abuse question. Day care or primary school teachers
who are among the first to come into contact with abused children outside
of their immediate family milieu may be incapable of adequately assessing
a situation of abuse where their students are concerned. In cases where
abuse has been pinpointed, cultural factors may come in but in most cases,
while significant adults such as teachers may be moved to act on the case,
scant referral resources are among the first stumbling blocks to intervention.
Only a handful of institutions respond to specific cases of abuse. There
is therefore a need to strengthen community-level intervention programs
that will revolve not only around rehabilitation/recovery/reintegration
responses but also around prevention and protection strategies.
BCA8. FACILITATING AVENUES FOR CHILDREN’S PARTICIPATION IN ALL ASPECTS
OF THE VARIOUS STRATEGIES
Recognizing children as participants in the process of prevention,
protection and reintegration and social recovery is not only being consistent
with the promotion of the child’s full rights. It is an effective medium
of prevention at the level of the child’s microsystem. It also becomes
an important component the child’s healing process within the reintegration
and social recovery process.
BCA 9. SETTING UP A MULTIDISCIPLINARY STRATEGY TO PROMOTE CHILD’S FULL
RIGHTS
Prevention, protection and rehabilitation of children who are victims
of child abuse should not be considered as isolated issues, but in the
wider context of a respect for the child’s full rights. Therefore,
the promotion of children’s rights and a child-focused perspective, ask
for the design of a multidisciplinary strategy, consistent with the
CRC, which could support, at various levels, an appropriate conceptualisation
and implementation of different activities.
Conclusion
The approach which has been described attempted to identify some features that may be useful in designing an interagency strategy which could involve Institutions, Governmental/Non Governmental Organisation and International Agencies. A strong degree of co-operation between these different actors and levels, according to our analysis, is an essential requirement in order to formulate adequate responses. This working paper is aimed at providing some methodological elements in order to contribute to the debate on the issue and to the implementation of effective strategies and programmes to counteract effectively phenomena of abuse on children. The proposition of a unified framework will eventually point to the need for a coordinating and monitoring body which ideally should be composed of a multidisciplinary group of experts both at the theoretical and practical levels of children’s work.
References
Banaag, Cornelio G., Jr., MD (1997). Resiliency: Stories Found in Philippine Streets. Manila, Philippines.
Bronfenbrenner, Urie (1979). The Ecology of Human Development. Massachusetts, USA.
Myers, Robert (1995). The Twelve Who Survive: Strengthening Programmes of Early Childhood Development in the Third World. Michigan, USA.
Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (1995). The Child With a Fish for a Twin (or How Not to Write About Children). Pasig, Metro Manila, Philippines.
UNICEF (1997). Situation of Children and Women in the Philippines. Manila, Philippines.
UNICEF (1998). Implementation Handbook for the Convention on the Rights
of the Child. Geneva, Switzerland.
ARCS working papers