PURPOSE OF THE POLICY
The Child Protection Policy (CPP) has been developed to provide a practical guide to prevent child abuse in KAFDOC’s facilities and programs. It outlines a range of risk management strategies that will be implemented and which will reduce the risk of children being harmed.
The CPP will demonstrate KAFDOC’s commitment to protect children from harm and abuse.
The CPP aims to educate staff and others about child abuse and promote a child safe and a child friendly culture where everyone is committed to keeping children safe.The CPP aims to create an open and aware environment where concerns for the safety and well being of a child can be raised and managed in a fair and just manner, which protects the rights of all.
Additionally, the CPP will provide guidance on how to respond to concerns and allegations of child abuse. It provides guidance to staff and others on how to work respectfully and effectively with children. This will provide all stakeholders, including staff and others with a safe working environment. KAFDOC is obliged to adhere to local and international child protection criminal laws, which prohibit the abuse and exploitation of children. These include local laws where KAFDOC programs exist, and international laws and conventions in relation to all forms of child abuse and child exploitation, including: child sex tourism, child sex trafficking, child labour and child pornography.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
The Child Protection Policy is guided by these principles:
Zero Tolerance of child abuse
Child abuse is not tolerated by KAFDOC. KAFDOC takes an active approach to risk management and ensures that its staff are selected, trained and obligated accordingly. KAFDOC will not knowingly employ or use the services of anyone known or likely to pose an unacceptable risk to children.
Primacy of the interests of the child
KAFDOC places the interests of the children in its care as its highest priority. Their physical and emotional security and welfare along with the development of their abilities and characters are its major concern and their protection will always be its highest value.
Individual and Collective responsibility for child protection.
KAFDOC recognises its legal and moral accountability and the accountability of all individuals concerned for child protection. It regards child protection as the responsibility of all KAFDOC staff at all levels and requires the active support and cooperation of all involved with the organisation, including employees, any organization, employee (paid or unpaid), contractor, consultant, volunteer, visitor, donor, supporter and any partner agency.
Duty of care
Duty of care is a common law concept that refers to the responsibility of the organisation to provide children with an adequate level of protection against harm. It is the duty of the organisation to protect children from all reasonably foreseeable risk of injury.
Child and young person
A child or young person is regarded to be any person under the age of 18 years, unless a nation’s laws recognise adulthood earlier. For the purposes of this policy CCF recognises a child to be a person under 18 years of age.
Child protection
Is the term used to describe the responsibilities and activities undertaken to prevent or stop children being abused or maltreated.
Child abuse
Abuse happens to male and female children of all ages, ethnicity and social backgrounds, abilities, sexual orientation, religious beliefs and political persuasion. Child abuse includes physical, sexual, emotional, neglect, bullying, child labour and domestic violence.
Physical abuse
This occurs when a person purposefully injures or threatens to injure a child or young person. This may take the form of slapping, punching, shaking, kicking, burning, shoving or grabbing. The injury may take the form of bruises, cuts, burns or fractures.
Emotional abuse
This occurs when a child is repeatedly rejected or frightened by threats. This may involve name calling, being put down or continual coldness from parent or care giver, to the extent that it affects the child’s physical and emotional growth.
Neglect
Neglect is the persistent failure or the deliberate denial to provide the child with clean water, food, shelter, sanitation or supervision or care to the extent that the child’s health and development are placed at risk.
Sexual abuse
This occurs when a child or young person is used by an older or bigger child, adolescent or adult for his or her own sexual stimulation or gratification – regardless of the age of majority or age of consent locally. These can be contact or non-contact acts, including threats and exposure to pornography.
Child-Sex Tourism
End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children (ECPAT) International defines child-sex tourism as:
“…the commercial sexual exploitation of children by men or women who travel from one place to another, usually from a richer country to one that is less developed, and there engage in sexual acts with children, defined as anyone aged under 18 years of age” (ECPAT International, 2006).
Bullying
Bullying is the inappropriate use of power by an individual or group, with intent to injure either physically or emotionally. It is usually deliberate and repetitive. The bullying may be physical or psychological (verbal and non-verbal).Physically, bullying includes pushing, hitting, punching, kicking or any other action causing hurt or injury.Verbal bullying includes insults, taunts, threats and ridicule. Psychological bullying includes physical intimidation and ostracism.
Exposure to Domestic Violence
Domestic violence occurs when children and young people witness or experience the chronic domination, coercion, intimidation and victimisation of one person by another by physical, sexual or emotional means within intimate relationships.
Particularly vulnerable children
Child abuse takes place not only within the family environment, but also outside the family, including: institutions, at work, on the streets, in war zones and emergencies.