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;