CCE has been working on various projects related to children and education. One such current project is CRUP, Children's rights up!
We would like to introduce you to the project "Children's rights up! Preventing child sexual abuse through the promotion of key competencies and healthy behaviors in young children from all cultures".
This project is in line with the strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training (ET 2020), which aims to contribute to the promotion of social inclusion in Europe through the prevention of child sexual abuse from an early age.
The expected results during the course of the project’s implementation are:
1) Creation of an interdisciplinary working network formed by social organizations, experts, families from different countries, schools from different realities, and adults who were victims of sexual abuse in their childhood. The objective is to offer answers and tools that help to improve the prevention of child sexual abuse from an early age.
2) Creation of a space for reflection and discussion at a national and international level to improve the prevention of child sexual abuse through the acquisition of key competencies from an early stage in life.
3) Inclusion of the voices of the project's target groups in all phases.
The expected long-term results are:
1) Creation of a theoretical-practical framework on how to prevent child sexual abuse from an early age within the school context and specifically in pre-school classes.
2) Improve key competencies in 4- and 5-year-old children, with an emphasis on social competencies, with the aim of improving the quality of life, well-being, and physical and psychological health of future adults. The topic of sexual abuse will be developed not only from the victim's perspective but also by addressing issues such as equality, respect, privacy, and consent, adapting these notions to the children's ages.
3) Inclusion of sex education content for 4- and 5-year-olds from a health perspective. Many studies have argued that training children in sex education from an early age has positive effects and can cut the rate of sexual abuse by half (Save the Children, 2017). In fact, Davis and Gidycz (2000) carried out a meta-analysis and found that not only are children more aware of what abuse is, but they can also develop skills to prevent it.
4) Overcoming the existing barriers to the development of early childhood sexual abuse prevention programs. To this end, the design of the prevention program will take into account different religious, cultural, and social sensitivities, emphasizing aspects of health, prevention, protection, and children's rights. The project aims to develop a prevention program that includes topics such as sex education, social key competencies, and prevention of child sexual abuse under a wide diversity of religious and cultural realities. Specific materials will be developed for families and professionals to help them understand the benefits of protection and prevention.
5) Development of the necessary tools for teachers to prevent and address situations of child sexual abuse in the classroom. The prevention program is designed so that early childhood teachers can apply it autonomously. Therefore, online training will be conducted to teach teachers that they can use the materials to implement prevention and protection activities in the classroom in a coherent, safe and effective way.
6) Development of tools aimed at families for the prevention of child sexual abuse in everyday life through the promotion of children's health and well-being. The project will develop a transversal tool that involves families in the prevention of abuse, making them active participants in the initiative. To this end, materials will be designed and made available so that any European family, whatever their values, can feel comfortable and apply what they have learned in their own home.
For more information and research collaborations, contact us at info@ccefinland.org
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