CHILD PROTECTION POLICY: How Schools Can Ensure Child Protection Policy

In recent years, there has been a rising acknowledgement that child abuse does occur in organizations, as well as a greater acceptance of the possible risks to children from adult inadvertent and deliberate behaviours. Every child has the right to live in a safe environment bereft of violence, exploitation, and abuse. Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy is made up of numerous components, all with the objective of keeping children and youth safe both in schools and in their various communities. Find out more about Child Protection Policy in Schools as you read further

Overview

Children all across the world are vulnerable to insidious types of violence, exploitation, and abuse. There are no limits to the violence perpetrated against children. It occurs in every country, and in places where children should be the most secure — their homes, schools, and online. It might be physical, emotional, or sexual in nature. In most situations, children suffer violence at the hands of someone they trust.

Children are especially vulnerable in humanitarian contexts. During times of war, natural catastrophes, and other emergencies, they may be forced to escape their homes. Some may separate from their families and face exploitation and abuse. Others may be injured or killed by explosive weapons in a war or recruited by the armed forces. Gender-based violence is also on the rise, particularly among girls and women.

On the other hand, harmful cultural beliefs are another major threat to children around the world. Despite the fact that both child marriage and female genital mutilation are internationally recognised human rights crimes, hundreds of millions of girls still undergo both.

All children, regardless of their background or circumstances, have the right to be safe from violence, exploitation, and abuse. Beginning at birth, child protection policies assist children in gaining access to critical social services and fair justice systems. They help the most vulnerable children, such as those with disabilities, and those who are in alternative care. They also help children displaced by disasters or those who may become victims of trafficking or recruited into armed groups. To protect children’s lives and futures, child protection policy prioritises their physical, mental, and psychosocial needs.

Child Protection Policy (UNICEF)

UNICEF strives to safeguard children from violence, exploitation, and abuse in over 150 countries. They work with governments, corporations, NGOs, and communities to prevent child abuse and give survivors health and psychosocial care. Their activities boost child protection systems, allowing children to gain access to critical social services from birth to puberty.

Furthermore, they provide leadership and coordination for all entities participating in the response during a humanitarian disaster. Their programming focuses on protecting children from explosive remnants of war, and reuniting separated children with their families. Preventing and responding to gender-based violence, including safeguarding children from sexual exploitation and abuse.

Additionally, they collaborate with UN partners to monitor and report significant violations of children’s rights in armed conflict. With communities, they work to hasten the abolition of harmful practices such as child marriage and female genital mutilation.

They also work with governments to develop civil registration systems and increase children’s access to child-friendly, gender-sensitive justice systems. They again help governments develop the social service workforce through policy, legislation, and regulatory frameworks.

Finally, they listen to young people and their families in everything to ensure that their needs drive the programmes and advocacy. Finally, they ensure that the programmes and advocacy are driven by the needs of the youth and their families. Local and global UNICEF partnerships help parents and caregivers gain information, awareness, and action.

What is Abuse?

Abuse and neglect are types of maltreatment, according to statutory government guidance. Children may be suffering in their homes, institutions, or communities by individuals they know or, in rare cases, by strangers.

Someone may abuse or neglect a child, inflicting or neglecting to harm the child. This sort of abuse or neglect can occur in both a community and an institutional setting for young people. Furthermore, the perpetrators of these actions are usually acquaintances or, at most, strangers. Child abuse includes physical, sexual, emotional, and/or neglect. It can occur both in-person and online and can be from other children or adults, especially those in positions of trust. Child protection and safeguarding policy when put in practice would protect children from all sorts of abuse whether in-person or online.

Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy

All organisations that engage with or come into contact with children should have safeguarding policies and procedures in place to guarantee that every child, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, colour, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation, has an equal right to be safe.

Establishing and adhering to excellent safeguarding policies and procedures ensures that children are safe from adults and other children who may pose a risk. Voluntary and community organisations, church groups, commercial sector providers, as well as schools, hospitals, and sports clubs, are all included.

Child safeguarding and protection policy refers to proactive measures done to prevent violence against children. This includes all forms of physical or sexual abuse, maltreatment or exploitation, mental aggression, etc. It’s the process of responding to concerns and disclosures that a child may be experiencing or is in danger of suffering.

Child protection and safeguarding policy is much more than just health and safety for children. Its intent is to assist us in developing a common knowledge of child protection issues, promoting good practice across the many regions in which we operate, and increasing responsibility in this critical component of our work. When implemented, as I earlier said, this regulation would help to ensure the safety of children.

Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy for Schools

All schools must have a child protection policy that adheres to certain key principles of best practice in child safeguarding. Indeed, they must formally adopt and implement the ‘Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools as part of their overall child protection and safeguarding policy.

When your child is at school, it is the responsibility of the school to keep them safe from danger and abuse. The school should promote a safe learning environment, identify students who are experiencing or are at risk of experiencing harm, and take appropriate action. The school should also provide staff with child protection awareness.

Therefore, Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy is the responsibility of schools to ensure that their workers and volunteers, partners, vendors, operations, and programmes do not endanger children, young or vulnerable people. The policy should further define the four types of abuse: physical, emotional, sexual, and neglect. An appendix might contain signs and indicators. The policy should explicitly state what employees should do if they receive a disclosure, as well as what employees should and should not do

How Schools can ensure Child Protection Policy 

To strengthen child protection policies in schools, staff must listen to and collaborate with parents to ensure that children feel safe and secure in the school environment.

If you work in the school and you feel that a child is a victim of abuse, you should contact the police or local social services, and you should notify the teacher in charge of child protection. They shall take appropriate action based on processes established by the local safeguarding children board, informing authorities if necessary.

The authorities will decide what to do after they have been informed, while the school’s involvement will be restricted. Staff at the school will not participate in an inquiry, but they may need to provide the necessary information. They may also need to assist the child.

To assist with safeguarding your child, the school should have:

• A team of experts with skills to identify indicators of abuse, as well as what to do if they or someone else is concerned about a kid
• Teachers who have been identified as being in charge of child protection
• Techniques for screening employees before allowing them to work with children
• A child protection and safeguarding policy outlining the processes to be followed if a teacher or other member of staff is accused of causing harm to a child

In addition, your child should be taught how to defend themselves at school. Lessons in personal, social, and health education (PSHE) illustrate the following:

• coping with peer pressure
• perilous behaviour, and
•  appropriate and inappropriate physical contact 

Conclusion

As you can see, the first explicit commitment to keeping children safe is through child protection and safeguarding policies. While the policy should be a primary concern, tailored to each organisation, it should be more than just a piece of paper.

The policy should state unequivocally that the organisation places high importance on the physical and emotional well-being of all children in its care. Finally, the policy should also specify how this will be accomplished.

FAQs’ On Child Protection Policy