Catechists of the Donetsk, Kharkiv and Odesa Exarchates learned how to create a safe environment for children

Adults must protect children. They must take care of their safety and well-being, especially in times of war, when the level of violence increases. UCU's Center for the Dignity of the Child organized online training for church representatives who work directly with children on violence prevention, how to create a safe environment and how to respond to cases of violence against children, and where to refer victims for qualified assistance.

"The victim is already vulnerable. Sometimes they may behave with distrust and show hostility because of previous difficult experiences. Our task is to listen, to give space to be heard, to support, because it is very important for healing to know that you are heard and accepted with all your difficult experiences," said Oleksandra Nizdran, a positive psychotherapist and clinical psychiatrist during a training for catechists from the UCU Center for the Dignity of the Child.

The three-day webinars covered important topics such as the effects of trauma, ways to help, the reporting system that exists in the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the church's experience in preventing violence against children, and practical case studies discussing stories of violence in groups. Trauma can be healed in a supportive resource environment, so the training discussed how to create such an environment and how to take care of children's safety.

"There are traumas that you can't see, but they can be very deep and have immediate and long-term consequences. The way we treat traumatic events, whether we have enough strength to survive and learn from them, will determine whether it will lead to growth or depress us in the future," said Yuliana Maslak, a child psychiatrist and cognitive behavioral therapist, who shared with the catechists.

Hieromonk-psychologist Sava Masnyk emphasized the importance of creating safety policies in various environments that affect children in order to prevent and improve the safety culture in general.

Ivanka Rudakevych, head of Projects and Programs at the Center for Child Dignity, introduced the webinar participants to the center's activities, resources, and opportunities that can be used, told about reporting, the algorithm of actions, and the phone numbers of relevant services.

We appreciate the initiative taken by the representatives of the exarchates to conduct training for them. The knowledge gained will contribute to a better understanding of the impact of traumatic events on children, how to support child victims of violence, and how to promote safety for minors.