Child protection policy

Introduction 

Our mission is to glorify children and adults to study until graduated and have a good job employment, development of themselves, their families and their communities worldwide. We believe in children’s active participation and in respecting their freedom of expression and

communication, which are advocated in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

We believe that child protection is crucial to ensuring that children under 18 years of age have the rights, confidence and environment in which they can make choices, express their views and communicate effectively with other children and adults. Children cannot become empowered change agents to improve their lives and that of their families and communities if they are not safeguarded from abuse, discrimination and harm of any kind, be it physical, sexual, emotional or neglect.

While this document relates to the EAC, it will be necessary in the future for all of our local and international partners to develop a Child Protection Policy that is appropriate to their own culture and legal system (taking into account the universal human rights standards of the Convention on the Rights of the Child).

1. Definitions

Child

For the purposes of this policy, a child is defined as anyone under the age of 18, in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Child abuse

• According to the World Health Organization, “Child abuse” or “maltreatment” constitutes ‘all forms of physical and/or emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, neglect or negligent treatment or commercial or other exploitation, resulting in actual or potential harm to the child’s health, survival, development or dignity in the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust or power.’

• NSPCC similarly specify “cruelty to children” or “child abuse” as ‘behaviour that causes significant harm to a child. It also includes when someone knowingly fails to prevent serious harm to a child. All forms of cruelty are damaging – it can be harder to recover from the emotional impact than from the physical effects.’

These definitions therefore point to four types of cruelty:

• Physical abuse: including hurting or injuring a child, inflicting pain, poisoning, drowning, or smothering.
• Sexual abuse: including direct or indirect sexual exploitation or corruption of children by involving them (or threatening to involve them) in inappropriate sexual activities.
• Emotional abuse: repeatedly rejecting children, humiliating them or denying their worth and rights as human beings.
• Neglect: the persistent lack of appropriate care of children, including love, stimulation, safety, nourishment, warmth, education, and medical attention.

A child who is being abused may experience more than one type of cruelty.

Discrimination, harassment, and bullying are also abusive and can harm a child, both physically and emotionally.

Child protection 

A broad term to describe philosophies, policies, standards, guidelines and procedures to protect children from both intentional and unintentional harm. In the current context, it applies particularly to

the duty of EAC – and individuals associated with EAC – towards children in their care.

Direct contact with children 

Being in the physical presence of a child or children in the context of EAC’s work, whether contact is occasional or regular, short or long term. In the Cambodia this could involve delivering talks to schools and youth groups. Overseas this could involve project/site visits and attending conferences at which children are also present.

Indirect contact with children

• Having access to information on children in the context of EAC’s work, such as children’s names, locations (addresses of individuals or projects), photographs and case studies.
• Providing funding for organizations that work ‘directly’ with children. Albeit indirectly, this nonetheless has an impact on children, and therefore confers upon the donor organization responsibility for child protection issues.

Partner 

For the purposes of this policy:

An overseas organization involved as partner in project work with EAC, whether the project relationship is short or long term.

Policy 

‘A statement of intent that demonstrates a commitment to safeguard children from harm and makes clear to all what is required in relation to the protection of children. It helps to create a safe and positive environment for children and to show that the organization is taking its duty and responsibility of care seriously.’

EAC’s core child protection principles and values:

The legal basis

The UNCRC: EAC’s Child Protection Policy is firmly based on the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Taken holistically, the CRC provides a comprehensive framework for the protection, provision and participation of all children without discrimination to ensure their survival and development to the maximum extent possible. On the understanding that the CRC must be read as a whole, the following articles nevertheless form the specific basis of child protection: 1 (definition of ‘child’), 2 (non-discrimination), 3.1 (the best interests of the child), 3.2 (duty of care and protection), 3.3 (standards of care), 6 (survival and development), 12 (participation), 13 (freedom of

expression), 19 (protection from violence), 25 (periodic review of placements), 32, 33, 34, 36, 37(a) (protection from economic exploitation, substance abuse, sexual abuse and exploitation, ‘all other forms of exploitation’; torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment), 39 (physical and psychological recovery and social reintegration).

The moral basis 

A non-negotiable duty: EAC believes that NGOs working for street children’s rights have an absolute duty to protect this already vulnerable group from abuse, mistreatment, and exploitation from within organizations intended for their benefit. This duty is imperative and non-negotiable. Without adequate standards and mechanisms of protection in place, an organization is not only failing in its primary duty of care, but may also be negligently or recklessly fostering an environment of abuse.

An end to silence: 

Silence breeds abuse and exploitation of children. Pedophiles will seek out organizations with weak communication structures and thrive where secrecy and shame prevail. Furthermore, without proper policies and explicit procedures in place, NGOs are extremely vulnerable to false allegations of child abuse. EAC therefore believes in:

• Creating an environment where issues of child protection are discussed openly and are understood between children and adults;
• Promoting open lines of communication both internally and externally within and between organizations to improve awareness and implementation of child protection policies and practices;
• Creating a framework to deal openly, consistently and fairly with allegations concerning both direct and indirect abuse.

Children’s participation 

A space and a voice: Creating a space where children feel able and willing to speak out about abuse, free from abusers, empowers them to become actors in their own protection without further discrimination or shame. “Children have the right to communication – to enable them to receive information, to ask questions, to make choices, and to make decisions.”[Quoted from Sense International Child Protection Policy, Section 2.1.2]. EAC believes that helping children to find a voice is an essential step to helping them to claim their individual rights. Children will only benefit from this policy if they are aware of their rights and are given the proper environment in which to exercise them.

Taking it further: Child protection is not just about reading and signing a piece of paper: the policy sets out guidelines and standards that must be put into practice. These include, amongst other measures: recruitment procedures, review of management structures, creation of a space for children to speak out, staff training, and development of transparent protocols. ‘Above all, it must be remembered that it is the children, not the standards, that are sacrosanct; and although abuse must never be tolerated, the standards are no more than a tool in the service of promoting the welfare of children.’ [Setting the Standard: A common approach to Child Protection for international NGOs, anonymous INGO quotation, p.6.]

Challenging complacency: Resistance to addressing child protection issues may come from lack of understanding of the nature of child abuse, lack of commitment to the organization/programme, and a sense that child abuse happens elsewhere. Organizations should ask themselves: “If safety and wellbeing of children are not in  the organization’s programme/activities, then why not?” ‘It is unfortunate and unacceptable that it will take a horrendous incident to shock some organizations into action’. EAC will challenge complacency as a matter of course .[Adapted, with selected quotations, from ECPAT Australia, Choose with Care, p.34.]

These principles underpin all of the following standards set out in this document.

 The need for a Child Protection Policy

‘All NGOs should have a Child Protection Policy if its direct or indirect beneficiaries include individuals under the age of 18’ [ Setting the Standard: A common approach to Child Protection for international NGOs, Standard 1 (Policy).]

• It is the duty of EAC to ensure that the promotion of children’s rights includes specifically protecting children from accidental harm as well as deliberate abuse within organizations intended for their benefit. This policy will assist in fulfilling this duty.
• The children are especially vulnerable to abuse, exploitation, and ill-treatment at the hands of careers, other project workers, and those with access to their personal information. In the case of children who have run away from home, many have already
• experienced ruptured relationships of trust or abuse of an adult-child relationship in the form of physical, psychological or sexual abuse.
• Organizations working with vulnerable children have been, are and will continue to be vulnerable to harbouring abuse until the issues are brought into the open.
• Organizations without protection policies, guidelines and systems are more vulnerable to false or malicious accusations of abuse.
• Without proper policies, guidelines and procedures in place, allegations of abuse, whether founded or unfounded, can destroy an organization’s reputation. This will have serious implications for fundraising (thus undermining an organization’s entire portfolio of work, even beyond the scope of the particular project concerned) as well as damaging the reputation of the children NGO sector as a whole. 

EAC Child Protection Policy

Staff and Personnel

As a condition of working with our organization, all trustees, employees, officers, staff, interns, volunteers, researchers, consultants, and advisers of the EAC are required to

undergo the following:

• Satisfactory clearance through a police check conducted by the Criminal Records Bureau.
• Both acceptance of and commitment to our Child Protection Policy and Code of Conduct for working with children.
• Signing a personal declaration stating any criminal convictions, including spent convictions.
• Providing the name and contact information of two character references they have known for no less than two years, excluding family members.

Management

The disclosure of personal information about children, including legal cases, will be limited to those employees, interns and volunteers who need to know. The Board of EAC will have the overall responsibility to oversee and ensure the policy’s implementation.

Training and Education

Training and education are essential to implementing the Child Protection Policy. Mr. Sokhan Yung will ensure that orientation training about the Child Protection Policy is given to all

staffs and personnel, which will include training on behaviour guidelines for those in direct contact with children, and guidance on the acceptable and unacceptable sharing of information on children. In conjunction with the Consortium for poor Children, opportunities for staff to learn about recognize and respond to child abuse will also be available to all representatives.

Behaviour Protocols

Any employee, intern and volunteer, researcher, consultant, or adviser who has direct contact with children either in the Cambodia or overseas will be fully informed of EAC’s Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct includes guidance on appropriate behaviour of adults and children.

Communications about Children

All publications and the website that include images and text related to children will not contain the following:

• Manipulated or sensationalized text and/or images
• Discriminatory and degrading language
• Images in which children are inappropriately clothed
• Information that could be used to identify the location of the child and cause them to be put at risk Photos of children that will be included on the website or any of our publications must be taken with the child’s verbal permission. In addition, all information relating to children is limited to those members of staff who need to know and will be treated as confidential.

Reporting Incidents

All witnessed, suspected or alleged violations of the Child Protection Policy will be immediately reported to the designated Child Protection Officer, who will record and act on these in a confidential manner in accordance with the standardized process developed by EAC and the best interests of the child. EAC will take appropriate action to protect the child/children in question from further harm and others in the organization during and following an incident or allegation. The relevant contact details for child protection services, local social services department, police, emergency medical help and help lines (e.g. NSPCC) will also be readily available and easily accessible.

Ramifications of Misconduct

We will immediately suspend any employee, adviser, consultant, trustee, intern or volunteer who is alleged to have violated the Child Protection Policy, pending the outcome of an investigation. EAC reserves the right to take any disciplinary action against any of the above who have been proven guilty in an investigation, which may include reporting the incident to the police.