23 April 2025 
TRAINING: Child protection tools and protocols
About this training: Join to learn about the current draft of the new Barnahus Quality Standard 11 on child protection, and to explore practical applications of the standard in Barnahus.
The Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS), in close collaboration with the Barnahus Network, is currently developing a new Barnahus Quality Standard on child protection, in the context of an EU co-funded project called Promise Soteria.
The Barnahus Quality standards were developed through a collaborative process in 2017 in the context of the first Promise project, and can be found here. It has been a longstanding priority of the CBSS and the Barnahus Network to develop a standard to guide practice in Barnahus concerning child protection, which is an important aspect of the multidisciplinary interventions in Barnahus. The work to develop the standard began early 2024 and has so far been informed by a survey, a mapping, as well as written and oral consultations with members of the Barnahus Network.
The standard is still under consultation and is slated to be finalised in time for the Barnahus Forum June 2025, where discussions will start on defining indicators and identifying examples of good practice to include.
Recommended reading: March 2025 draft of the Child Protection Standard
Who should join: Barnahus staff and related stakeholders who provide measures and structures to prevent and respond to abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence affecting children.
Format: Participants should come prepared to participate in a seminar style training, and to share how they are working with the topics.
Language: the training is offered in English. You are welcome to bring an interpreter to this event, we can set it up so it works seamlessly in Zoom.
Registration: This training will run twice! Both sessions will cover the same information. Pick one:
- Register for the morning session 8:00 – 11:00 CET, or
- register for the afternoon session 13:00 to 16:00 CET
Cost: Free for Network Members and Associate Members
Instructors: Linda Jonsson and Anette Birgerson
Agenda:
- Introducing the draft Child Protection Standard – CBSS
- Seminar on practical applications – Linda Jonsson and Anette Birgersson
- Small group discussions
- Summing up
- 10-minute breaks about once per hour
Meet the instructors:
Linda Jonsson holds a PhD in child psychiatry. She has been working in social services and child psychiatry in Sweden and with responsibility for issues related to sexual abuse and exploitation at the Swedish national competence centre against child abuse, Barnafrid. Her research covers all forms of child abuse, especially sexual exploitation and online sexual abuse. Linda is currently an associate professor in social work at Marie Cederschiöld College, and engages in various expert and consulting roles in Sweden.
Anette Birgersson is a social worker, licensed psychotherapist, keynote speaker, presenter and educator with a focus on sexual abuse and trauma. Her aim is to increase the knowledge around trauma, sexual abuse and therapeutic approach using DBT and. Anette collaborates with therapists, practitioners and researchers in Europe, the USA, and Australia. https://abirgersson.se/
This training is provided with EU co-funding.
29 April 2025 TRAINING: Disclosures and Forensic Interviews in the Context of Online Child Sexual Abuse
Instructors: Dr Julia Korkman & Dr Malin Joleby
Who should join: Child forensic interviewers and Barnahus personnel
Time: 10:00 to 12:00 CET
Cost: Free for Network Members and Associate Members
About the training: Modern digital technology has created new opportunities for perpetrators to sexually exploit children, leading to a significant rise in online child sexual abuse crimes globally. As with other forms of child sexual abuse, children may find it difficult to disclose their experiences. This and other aspects of the online nature of the crimes have implications for how children should be encountered and interviewed in the forensic setting. This training will provide:
- A summary of the current research on children’s disclosures of online CSA experiences.
- An understanding of the different forms of online child sexual abuse.
- Insights into recent studies on how children themselves wish to be heard.
- Challenges faced by legal practitioners and the potential impact of forensic interviews on children’s well-being.
- Suggestions for conducting victim-sensitive interviews when investigating online child sexual abuse cases using an adapted version of the well-established NICHD-R protocol, specifically modified for the unique challenges of online child sexual abuse cases.
Format: The training will consist of two lectures of 1 ca 45 minutes each, followed by commentaries by practicing police officer and Q&A.
Language: the training is offered in English. You are welcome to bring an interpreter to this event, we can set it up so it works seamlessly in Zoom.
Agenda:
- 10:00 CET (9:00 Finnish) – Introduction from the Barnahus network
- 10:15 – Lecture
- 10:45 – Break
- 11:00 – Lecture
- 11:30 – Practitioner reflections
- 11:40 – Q&A, discussion
- 12:00 – End
Meet the instructors:
Dr Julia Korkman is a Senior Programme Officer at HEUNI (The European Institute for Crime Prevention and Control, affiliated with the United Nations) as well as Professor of Practice with the Faculty of Law, and Adjunct Professor in Legal Psychology at Åbo Akademi and co-leads the legal psychology research group LePÅ at Åbo Akademi. She is specialized memory in the legal context and has conducted research on among other things investigative interviewing, decision making in legal contexts, investigating alleged cases of crimes against children, eyewitness identifications, factors associated with rape victims’ tendencies to make police reports, psychological coercion in court cases of human trafficking, and asylum processes as co-PI of the research group PsychAID. At HEUNI, Dr Korkman is responsible for the planning and implementation of HEUNI’s EU and other international and national projects, especially regarding the rights of victims of crime, virtual justice, and developing the criminal justice process in an evidence-based and humane way. Julia is the current president of the European Association of Psychology and Law and a member of several other expert networks. She has received several prices for her work, including the Academic Excellence Award by the International Investigative Interviewing Research Group (iIIRG), the Science Communication Prize 2025 by The Finnish Association of Science Editors and Journalists and the Finland-Swedish Psychologist of the Year Award 2025 by the Finnish Psychological Association. In 2022 she authored the popular-scientific book Memory dependent (Fi: Muistin varassa, SWE: Minnets makt) about the role of memory in legal processes, which has been widely acclaimed and also received several awards. Julia is also a performing and recording singer who occasionally also sings about crimes.
Malin Joleby, PhD, is a postdoctoral researcher and research group leader in the Rahm/Joleby research group at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden. Her main areas of expertise are forensic psychology, developmental psychology, and psychiatry, with a specialization in research on sexual abuse. Dr. Joleby works on both perpetrator prevention and victimology. She plays a key role in the Prevent It treatment program, aimed at individuals at risk of committing sexual offenses against children, and leads studies on the psychological impact of technology-assisted child sexual abuse. She is also involved in research on forensic interviews with preschoolers and children witnessing domestic violence. Her doctoral dissertation was recognized as “Dissertation of the Year” at the Department of Psychology, University of Gothenburg, and she has been nominated for the Swedish National Committee’s award for young researchers in psychology.
This training is provided with EU co-funding by the PROMISE Elpis project.
6 May 2025 Exploring how to fulfil the rights of children in transnational child protection
Time: 09:30-16:00 CET
Announcing an interactive online training on transnational child protection cases, featuring Rebecca O’Donnell from Child Circle.
This training will introduce guidance and tools for professionals working across borders to safeguard children’s rights.
What are transnational child protection cases?
Child protection concerns arise when a child is suffering, or at risk of suffering, from violence, abuse, neglect or exploitation. Transnational cases arise when more than one country is relevant to measures to be taken on the protection of the child. They include asylum and migration, criminal justice, trafficking, family and child welfare and missing children cases.
Who is the training for?
Professionals involved in transnational child protection cases, including policy makers; agencies & stakeholders working on improving the system and building resources; practitioners working on improving practices.
What to Expect
- Expert insights: Learn from specialists about international and European legal frameworks, issues and challenges in transnational child protection cases
- Practical tools: Explore key resources and tools in different cases
- Collaborative discussions: Exchange with professionals from different countries and sectors on how better to fulfil children’s rights
Agenda: To be announced
Cost: Free for Network Members and Associate Members
This training is offered as part of an EU co-funded project supporting inclusive and resilient child protection systems, led by the Council of the Baltic Sea States with partners from Child Circle and Marie Cedershöld University.
12-13 June 2025 BARNAHUS FORUM in Tallinn, Estonia
12 June – 9:30 to 17:00
13 June – 9:30 to lunch
Agenda and details forthcoming …
13 June 2025 General Assembly of the Barnahus Network in Tallinn, Estonia (hybrid)
The General Assembly will meet for the first time on the sidelines of the Barnahus Forum. Members will adopt the usual operational documents of the Network, and will elect a new steering group.
Time TBD, but likely afternoon of 13 June 2025.
A possibility for members to listen in and vote from a distance will be provided for any members who are not able to join in person.
Upcoming trainings
23 April 2025 TRAINING: Child protection tools and protocols –Information and registration
29 April 2025 TRAINING: Disclosures and Forensic Interviews in the Context of Online Child Sexual Abuse – Information and registration
Want to be invited to when we have open spots on unpublished trainings? Sign up to our waitlist.
Forthcoming …
Information session on the network project looking at remote and pre-recorded hearings with children
An information session will be arranged to go more into detail about the planned activities below, and to get initial feedback and ideas about elements to cover and resources to look into. You can read briefly about the full project here. The Barnahus Network is developing:
| Desk Research | Conduct desk research to summarise best practices in video recorded child interviews, focusing on child victims, witnesses, and suspects. 3+ pages. |
| Legal Summary | Create a summary of international and national legal obligations related to video recording child interviews, emphasising procedural safeguards. 3+ pages. |
| Protocol for Child Suspects | Develop protocol and guidance for interviewing child suspects, focusing on fair trial and due process safeguards. To be translated into partner languages. 15+ pages. |
| Lawyer Guidance | Provide structured guidance for lawyers on procedural safeguards to protect child victims and suspects. 10+ pages. |
| Remote Hearing Ground Rules | Develop best practice recommendations for remote court hearings involving children, focusing on safeguarding and trauma prevention. 2+ pages. |
Cost: Free for Network Members and Associate Members
Webinar on the White paper on forensic child interviewing: research-based recommendations by the European Association of Psychology and Law
The White paper on forensic child interviewing: research-based recommendations by the European Association of Psychology and Law was published last year and provides seminal guidance on key questions around the preparation and execution of investigative interviews with children. It consists of evidence-based recommendations. It was jointly drafted by researchers in child interviewing active within the European Association of Psychology and Law. The recommendations are focused on cases in which children are interviewed in forensic settings, in particular within investigations of child sexual and/or physical abuse. One purpose of the white paper is to assist the growing Barnahus movement in Europe to develop investigative practise that is science-based.
A forthcoming webinar with select authors will welcome Barnahus Network Members to learn more about what each of the recommendations are and discuss how the recommendations can be applied both in your practice and in general in the Barnahus Network.
Cost: Free for Network Members and Associate Members
TRAINING on EMDR Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing therapy
Dates: Planned for October 2025
Cost: TBD, will be at full cost with invites first to network members and associate members. Approximate cost is 1,800 EUR per person for the core training, with supervision and interpretation (if relevant) at an additional cost.
By popular demand, coming soon…
Past
26 March 2025 TRAINING: Toolkit for interagency case management
About: This training introduced a comprehensive guide for Barnahus seeking to implement interagency case management effectively. Participants gained insights into establishing formal procedures, conducting child-centred case planning, and maintaining continuous case reviews — all while ensuring the child’s voice remains central throughout the process. The training was presented by the author of the toolkit, Emma Harewood.
Read the toolkit to get acquainted with practical tools, case examples, and clear frameworks provide actionable guidance for improving interagency collaboration, reducing (re)traumatisation, and promoting more effective support for child victims.
Recommended reading:
Format: During the training you will explore the four chapters in the toolkit and be invited to consider how your Barnahus service is meeting the standards against a helpful checklist. You’ll have an opportunity to discuss these topics in small groups, and to network with your colleagues from around Europe.
Who can attend: This training is for Barnahus network members.
Language: the training is offered in English. You are welcome to bring an interpreter to this event, we can set it up so it works seamlessly in Zoom.
Cost: Free for Network Members and Associate Members
This training is provided with EU co-funding by the PROMISE Elpis project.
The above has produced with co-funding from European Union. The contents herein are the sole responsibility of the respective project partnership and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Commission.