Facts
Project partners:
Ministry för Digital Transformation, Ombudsman for Children, Ukraine and The Hug
Where:
Ukraine and Thailand
Contact:
Susanne Drakborg
susanne.drakborg@childhood.org
Many countries lack the knowledge and resources to respond to and support children who have been sexually abused online. Adult ignorance and prejudiced behavior may increase the child’s stigma and trauma. Childhood has identified a particular need in countries where there are major shortcomings in the child safeguarding responses and/or where parents and other adults have very little knowledge about the internet.
Increased knowledge
In Thailand, Ukraine and other countries Childhood invests in projects that provide support to children who have been abused online, as well as in projects that increase the awareness and knowledge among those who work with children. In Ukraine, we cooperate with the Ombudsman for Children and the Ministry of Digital Transformation in order to further develop the national telephone help line for exposed children. The counselors are educated about online abuse and a special help line for child sexual abuse victims is to be launched.
Exposed children must be treated with respect
In Thailand, Childhood invests in The Hug, an organization that educates police officers and investigators in how to handle cases involving child sexual abuse online, with special focus on the respectful treatment of the child. In order to give professionals a basic knowledge about the problem and guidance on how to support the children, the project includes the production of a handbook. The project also provides information and support to exposed children and their non-offending relatives. Today, such resources do not exist in Thailand.
Photo: Susanne Drakborg