What children say about professional responses to online sexual violence

Children and young people feedback summary

In the children and young people feedback summary, children were consulted on what they thought should happen for child victims of online sexual abuse, and a creative activity book was developed using questions on two case studies.

A series of animated videos were also created to promote key messages to various stakeholders.

The key learnings from this publication include:

Professionals – and adults in general – must be prepared to listen and hear what children and young people say about their experiences of online harm and abuse.
Professionals – and adults in general – must respond to online child sexual abuse from the perspective of child protection and so respond to all the child’s needs.
Children and young people’s views must be considered and respected whilst action to protect is taken.
Children and young people must have the right advocacy and therapeutic support, at the right time, by the right people.
You might be inspired by the methodology used by Children First to use the tools that are appropriate to the group of children you work with: using activity books, animations, feedback forms and other creative tools, developed in collaboration with children and young people. These can be greatly effective to raise awareness and consult about matters than concern them.

Policy brief

The policy brief offers 5 recommendations, and checklists for professionals when meeting child victims of online sexual violence to ensure each child is afforded space, voice, audience and influence.

Voices of children report

The voices of children report introduces the work of Promise Elpis related to child participation in the PROMISE Elpis project, and demonstrates how the work has successfully operationalised children’s right to participation.

Publications

Children and young people feedback summary

Policy Brief – Listening to Young Voices: Recommendations for Including Children in Investigations of Online Sexual Abuse (EN)

Policy brief – Lyssna på de ungas röster: rekommendationer för att inkludera barn i utredningar om sexuella övergrepp på nätet (SV)

Policy brief – Kuunnellaan itse nuoria: suosituksia lasten näkökulman huomioimiseen verkkovälitteisen seksuaalisen hyväksikäytön epäilyksiä selvitettäessä (FI)

Policy brief – Auf junge Stimmen hören: Empfehlungen für die Einbeziehung von Kindern in Studien über den sexuellen Online-Missbrauch (DE)

Voices of Children report

Introduction

For social workers

For police

For teachers

“PROMISE Elpis” was funded by the European Union through its Internal Security Fund (ISF) program, with partner co-funding. Charité (Coordinator), AvBIT, The Barnahus Network via the Council of the Baltic Sea States, Children at Risk, Child Circle, Children 1st, HEUNI (The European Institute for Crime Prevention and Control, affiliated with the United Nations),National Children’s Advocacy Center USA, UKHD (Childhood Haus Heidelberg), Germany). The contents of this page and its linked resources are the sole responsibility of the publisher and can no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Commission.