Training for teachers in Ivano-Frankivsk. Helping to create a safe environment in educational institutions

"It is important for us to explain to the child that the world is generally safe. But there are people with bad intentions, so a child should understand how to protect himself or herself and, in case of danger, turn to trustworthy adults - people who do not hurt, support, and can help. Children need to know how to get help from adults, because it is the duty of adults to protect children," said Valentyna Havryshko, head of projects and programs at the UCU Center for Child Dignity, during an online training for teachers. Valentyna Havryshko explained why it is important to implement safe-guarding practices to prevent harm that can be caused to children, what is the difference between prevention and intervention, why it is important to create security policies for each institution, and to have responsible persons for security in the educational institution.

The UCU Center for Child Dignity as part of the project "Safeguarding. Child Safety in the Educational Environment" project, organized a series of webinars for Ivano-Frankivsk educators in which experts talked about safeguarding, prevention of violence against children, creating a safe environment in educational institutions, how to respond to reports of violence, which services to contact, and how to help effectively.

"Safe garding is when we prevent violence, when we know the risks associated with violence against children and can prevent it. Why is safety important for children and why is prevention important? Because everything that happens in childhood is critical for our future life, childhood experience affects us as adults," shared with the teachers Khrystyna Shabat, head of the UCU Center for Child Dignity.

The project "Safeguarding. Child Safety in the Educational Environment" project aims to create a safe environment for children in educational institutions and implement measures to prevent violence, mechanisms for recognizing and responding effectively.

Yuliana Maslak, child psychiatrist, cognitive behavioral therapist, spoke about the types of violence against children, the factors that increase the risk of violence: what behavioral signs we should respond to, how to recognize a potential abuser, what indicates that a child has been abused. The expert also shared information about the types of conflicts, how to resolve them, how conflict differs from bullying and how they affect the child, about assertive communication and the use of "I-messages." Teachers were instructed on how to stop conflicts and intervene correctly in a conflict situation between children.

"We never know who a child might come to with a history of abuse. But every adult who works with children should be prepared for the possibility that they may be told about a case of violence. In this case, the most important thing is to listen, to give the child the opportunity to speak out while remaining a calm adult. You should tell the child "I believe you," thank them for their trust and courage, and emphasize that they are not to blame, that the offender is to blame," said Ivanka Rudakevych, project and program manager of the UCU Center for Child Dignity. Ivanka Rudakevych shared an algorithm for responding to cases of violence against children (domestic violence, child abuse, bullying, sexual abuse) in an educational institution.

UCU's Center for the Dignity of the Child provides training for educators from different regions of Ukraine. We disseminate useful practices on safe guarding and creating a safe environment in educational institutions. We create a culture of safety in which the dignity of the child is an unconditional value.