Innovative International Approaches to Child Protection Education

1. The International Centre for Child Protection; An innovative International approach to teaching and learning. VanishaJassal, Dr Tracee Green, Professor Jane Reeves

2. Scale of the problem: Child maltreatment • Child abuse is an international phenomenon and its reach across the globe is arguably on a scale never before seen. The WHO estimates that: • a quarter of all adults have been physically abused as children and • a fifth of women and a thirteenth of men have been sexually abused as children (WHO 2016) (TG) (World Health Organisation 2017, p. 3)

3. Scale of the problem: Child maltreatment – locaitons of our international students (World Health Organisation 2017, p. 3)

4. Child abuse is evolving, pervasive and complex… JR We had a vision for a Centre which captured the best of contemporary technology and gaming techniques to help professionals & children learn in a modern way to help them to protect children and ultimately help children to protect themselves Put simply…it is a dangerous world on and off line…. All content and simulations IP protected University of Kent

5. What is our approach? • World class International distance learning MA in Advanced Child Protection for all professionals to safeguard children – high quality resources from national and international experts in child protection • Innovative training simulations with versions for professionals & young people to promote symbiotic learning • Working with strategic stakeholders (Home Office and DfE) to build simulations which are research based, branded inter-professionalrobust products • UK and International reach with trainingrun at the University and outreachdelivering directly to organisations • Part of a Erasmus+ project; social work training across Europe • Development of ‘The family on the move’ refugee story • Tackling hard hitting topics – sexual abuse, neglect, grooming, CSE, radicalisation. BCD shows how extremism permeates UK society • Development of a Mooc (2018) All content and simulations IP protected University of Kent

6. Reached 4608 learners from 157 countries46% of learners were from the UK, 6% from USA, 6% India, 4% Australia Most learners were in age range 26-35

7. The use of simulations for training professionals and protecting children – why? All content and simulations IP protected University of Kent

8. Uses and benefits of the virtual environment for education • Engaging (Hearrington 2010) • Formation of online communities & discussion groups • High course/CPD performance and discussion (Hornik & Thornburg 2010) • Immersion and interaction in a ‘safe’ space (DeNoyelles et al 2014) • Offers experiential learning (Kolb 1984) which many people thrive on (Bolan 2003) • Learner centred rather than teacher led – the ‘teacher’ becomes the facilitator rather than disseminator (Carver et al 2007) • Enables ‘mentoring’ across practice experience • Enables us to evaluate practice in different ways (Reeves et al 2015)

9. Our distance learning MA in Advanced Child Protection • 194 students on the MA in the last 8 years • The Centre has attracted 36 international students from countries all over the world including Europe, North America, Africa, Asia and Australia. • They have a variety of job roles related to child protection including working for NGO’s, UNICEF, Save the Children, health & educational settings.

10. Location of MA students

11. The tools we use to enhance, facilitate and deepen learning & they have a symbiotic relationship

12. Our forums…symbiosis of learning across countries international & UK benefits What International students learn – indicative learning

13. Year 1 Student, Child Protection Officer, UNICEF, Lebanon – using knowledge to design CP projects “Drawing from the practical simulations, practice and research, the MA has given me leverage in professionally understanding and contextualizing child protection, education and safeguarding interventions for children in emergency context. I have used the acquired knowledge to design and implement integrated child protection and education projects focusing on children and adolescents with an integrated service provision lens especially where adolescent programming in emergencies has been a paradox. I can’t agree more on how the MA has shaped my specialty in case management, and also shaped my lead role in child protection in humanitarian action, education and safeguarding while on international deployments for children in crisis situations”.

14. Year 2 Student, Child Protection Officer, UNICEF, Afghanistan – training others “From the time I joined the MA programme, I have gained new skills and knowledge on general child protection and social work. As CP officer working for UNICEF, I am coaching 27 social workers and 19 child protection officers in the nine provinces of the North Region of Afghanistan. I conducted/facilitated several trainings for social workers where I used my new skills, knowledge and understanding of child protection and social work that I gain so far from Kent MA programme. Social work is very new in this country. In 2018, UNICEF shifted its activities from CP system building to CP social work where new ideas and theories were needed to improve the capacity of CP social work force. The new theories such as attachment theory/mentalisation, social theory as well as the assessment process in child protection, are some of the new knowledge that I learned during the MA program and were very helpful for me to improve capacity of our new social workers” “The stimulations such as Rosie and the serious case reviews I studied were very helpful for me to understand the risk factors in child protection and how to properly communicate with children and their families and how to protect children when working for child protection”.

15. Highlighting Global Differences in Child Protection Practice – forum conversations “There are two assessment tools used by agencies that I work with in Afghanistan: Parental Behaviour Tool (PBT) and Child and Family Study Tool (CFST)… I am not satisfied with the mentioned tools we have; however, understanding the concepts from this module are helpful. The instances of ULT [unresolved loss and trauma] in the video 'Protecting Our Children' were interesting to me and they can be [see in the] lack of interaction with the child, low eye contact with the child and lack of talking and supporting the child.” 2018 Forum Contribution: Afghanistan student work in Afghanistan

16. Highlighting Global Similarities in Child Protection Practice - forums “Another challenge I have encountered in all the contexts I have worked in, is lack of male caregivers’ involvement in matters concerning the welfare of the children. This hinders effective engagement with both parents. In most of these contexts, child welfare is still considered a responsibility of the female caregivers - even though the father maybe contributing directly or indirectly to the child abuse, while the male caregivers provide for the family.” 2018 Forum Contribution: Kenyan student working in Nigeria

17. Symbiosis – UK benefits

18. Learning from international perspectives - forums …While poverty is a core underlying driver of family separation, it often co-exists with other factors that make families particularly vulnerable to separation and parents particularly more likely to seek to place children in RCIs (It has been noted that not all poor families send their children to RCIs [Residential Care Institutes]. Other factors, such as being in a single parent household, and lacking access to affordable childcare options, alcohol abuse, illness or the death of a family member, for instance, can compound the impacts of poverty and place additional economic stress on the family… (Student working in Cambodia) Thanks XXXX for this alternative and very insightful perspective of working in your own organisation in the Cambodian context. Your description of what you have observed and experienced identifies the even greater challenges and complexities faced in another system outside of what we may experience here in western culture with poverty and educational barriers playing central roles. (UK student response)

19. Understanding a bigger world context - forums In my practice in Kenya, majority of our children who are sexually abused do not find justice and healing because parents agree with abusers, take bribes and refuse to pursue the case in court leading to lack of progress of the case in court. In my recent case it was very difficult to explain to the mother the need to continue witnessing in court so that offender who sexually molested her girl may be prosecuted. She cited the need to continue with other daily duties and not being able to find time to consistently go to court. Poverty and other factors contribute greatly to how parents behave when children experience such high levels of trauma.  (Student working in Kenya) Your case in the last paragraph made me reflect on the mother's position. Is she really demonstrating low mentalising and low reflective function or, like you said, there are factors that are impacting on her capacity to pay full attention to the need to be emotionally present for her daughter? (UK Student response)

20. UK Student learning – a global perspective “Being a BME living in the UK nearly 20 years now some of the issues affecting children in Africa have become diluted because I am in a place of privilege equality and opportunity. International students have been able to give current and valuable insight into the child protection issues a affecting children outside the bubble of the western world but also the complexities  challenges and constraints to carrying out child protection particularly in African countries.”

21. UK Student learning – sharing global resources • The course has opened up so many windows of opportunity in relation to international child protection.  Some students from overseas are able to join us on study days and share their experiences, whilst others network with us through the forums which are in place.  We are able to reflect on real life experiences and highlight the similarities and differences in practice and challenges worldwide.   We have also been introduced to the Child Protection Hub for South East Europe which is another great way of finding out information, sharing resources and networking.

22. Our simulations & the learning they bring to UK students…. Show • The Family on the Move • Maryam and Joe – hate crime. Understanding how being exposed to different cultures creates understanding

23. Working with International partners to tackle global problems and develop resources • The Erasmus project and ‘The family on the move’ • The influence of Terre des Hommes and Sweetie • https://vimeo.com/87005885 • ‘Best Practice’ international conference July 2019 • The new International module – coming January 2020 • The Street – a TESSA funded Project • Oculus Rift https://www.oculus.com/experiences/rift/998016373574782 • International conference July 2019