Children 1st joins international partners to support child victims of online sexual harm

Children 1st have joined partners from Europe and the USA to bridge the gaps in protection and justice for children and young people who experience online sexual harm.

Research shows that online sexual violence can be as, if not more harmful to children. With the number of child sexual abuse cases involving online harm growing globally this work is urgently needed to address the worldwide gaps in support for child victims and witnesses experiencing this type of harm.

The work, which is funded by the European Union draws on partners experience of promoting multidisciplinary and interagency models to uphold child victims and witnesses rights to care, protection, justice and recovery through the European Barnahus roll out (know as Bairns Hoose in Scotland) and the US Child Advocacy Centre model. The partnership is being led by Charité and involves five other partners alongside Children 1st:   AvBIT, The PROMISE Barnahus Network via the Council of the Baltic Sea States, Children at Risk, Child Circle, HEUNI (The European Institute for Crime Prevention and Control, affiliated with the United Nations), National Children’s Advocacy Center USA and UKHD (Childhood Haus Heidelberg), Germany)

By working together partners aim to ensure early identification, adequate assistance, protection and access to child-friendly justice for children who have experienced online sexual abuse.  The project has three main objectives:

• To develop, adapt, and evaluate protocols and procedures for victim support, counselling, crisis support, medical interventions, and recovery support.

• To foster a committed and competent workforce, and promote holistic interventions through effective interagency case management, the partners seek to address common challenges faced by professionals, including information exchange, coordination, and case planning, ensuring child-friendly, professional interventions.

• To support policy developments within Europe in particular in light of ongoing European Union strategies relevant to the field, and the proposed revision of European Unions instruments by sharing key learning.

Children 1st will be contributing to the project by working alongside children and young people to hear children and young people's views about why this issue is so important and to understand how they would like professionals to support them and ensure their right to child friendly justice is upheld.