Preventive measures and support regarding Child Sexual

Exploitation in BulgariaDr. Kate D’Arcy

Not to be reproduced without permission from the author

The International Centre

• Committed to increasing understanding of, and improving responses to, child sexual exploitation, violence and trafficking in local, national and international contexts

• Achieved through:– academic rigour and research excellence– collaborative and partnership based approaches to

applied social research– meaningful and ethical engagement of children and

young people– active dissemination and evidence-based engagement in

theory, policy and practice

Presentation outline

• Background of project.

• Learning Action Partnerships.

• Overview of LAP workshop in Bulgaria.

• Key Points for consideration.

Background to Project

• In some countries, including Bulgaria, institutions have been relied on as a safety net for social workers, and treated as a long-term solution rather than one which seeks to reintegrate children with their families.

• Bulgaria has historically promoted institutional care. In 1999, 1.78 % or 34,122 children were living in such institutions. Closing these has now become a national strategy (Vision of De-institutionalisation of Children in Bulgaria, 2012) with the priority of closing institutions for children 0-3 yrs old. Nevertheless, translation into effective practice on the ground is somewhat limited.

• LAP project is an opportunity to think proactively about the changes to care systems and preventing CSE.

Learning Action Partnerships

Developed from an awareness of preventative work with communities who have experienced disadvantage and discrimination.

A Learning Action Partnership (LAP) was prepared to highlight the links between sexual exploitation and alternative care/deinstitutionalisation and to define a second pathway to prevent entry. LAP recognises the complexity and challenges of work aimed at the prevention of violence, as well as the range of skills and experience needed.

Learning

• It is a learning relationship that can continue over

time and will benefit each partner with enhanced sharing of information.

• Awareness of what needs to be learnt will change over time.

• Practitioners/professionals /adults will learn from each other and will learn with and from children and young people.

Action

• Large and small actions are equally important.

• Each are agreed and monitored by partners.

• Actions reflect the context within which the young person is experiencing abuse.

• Actions may change as partners learn from each other and as the young people become more aware of their skills and experience and gain confidence.

Partnerships

• Rather than assuming that any one organisation can deliver real and sustained change on these complex issues, the LAP is envisaged as a forum that brings together for example, implementers, researchers, policy-makers and communication specialist that have the potential to impact on the incidence of sexual violence.

• Partners come together with the understanding that they each hold separate and different bodies of knowledge, neither one being privileged over the other.

• Partnerships between adults and between adults and children.

The Partnership

Recognises that • Partnerships involve relationships as well as formal

policy/procedures.• Not all partners may hold equal power, but differences are

openly recognised and the implications are addressed. • Each partner works under specific constraints. • Each partner can offer specific opportunities.• Both the adult and the young person have important

knowledge and skills .• The partnership needs continual review to check it is

reflecting the different attributes members bring.

Day 1: Learning Together

• A report documenting lessons from research regarding CSE and child participation had been prepared in advance and circulated to attendees. Dr. Jenny Pearce shared information about her own work and other research in the field as well as the voices/ situations of young people who had been victims of CSE.

• Kate D’Arcy then proposed a model of working which recognises different levels of intervention. These were used to identify existing CSE work practices and planning LAP interventions.

PRIMARY

Whole population ensuring they include marginalised

SECONDARY

Selected high risk individuals and groups

TERTIARY

Support those victims of CSE

PRIMARY INTERVENTIONPrevent child and sexual abuse by reducing risk factors e.g reduce levels of poverty and social exclusion among Roma, family planning, improved access to education and de-institutionalisation.

SECONDARY PREVENTIONServices to empower parents/carers most at risk through support and training. Out of school and school engagement programmes, specialist services for those with complex needs and older young people who are victims of CSE or trafficking.

TERTIARY PREVENTIONSpecialist support services: emergency services (counselling , emergency reception centres), youth justice support + deterrence and prosecution activity. Work with victims to enhance support systems.

Day 2 : Learning & Action planning

• Examples of good practice shared from report: Interest-free loans to Roma families to improve their homes (lack of proper sanitation, running water, heat and are overcrowded) . Families supported in all areas of lives – may increase children’s risk of neglect, abandonment or institutionalisation [financial advice, family planning services, life-skill training].• Participants were then asked to consider what they felt

were the necessary primary, secondary and tertiary preventative priorities in Bulgaria.

• Participants were grouped in different roles (police, education, youth people and health workers) and asked what action was needed to ensure priorities in preventing CSE happened.

• These activities aided thinking about how to actually put plans in place for the partnership.

Day 3: Learning, Action & Partnership

• Key organisations who wanted to be part of the LAP stayed on for Day 3.

• Led by local family planning organisation.• Discussed key priorities and next steps.

Was most challenging day, useful to have external input (UoB), highlighted the practical challenges of partnership working: different agenda’s, funding, resources ……….

Reflections on the workshop

• Despite challenges - Oak partners were hugely impressed by the work achieved in a relatively short period of time of the workshop.

• The LAP workshop experience was felt to be a hugely positive experience, the process facilitated learning and plans for action for partners.

• Valuable lessons and information sharing took place and this informed understandings about the context of CSE in the UK and Bulgaria.

• Positive relationships were formed and it is hoped that future partnership visits will be planned once the LAP or PUD, which stands for Partnership Learning Action in Bulgarian, has had a chance to take shape.

Key Points:

• The author recognises that elements of the LAP approach are already happening, nevertheless applying this model has several advantages:

• Research had highlighted the need for partners to work together to prevent and support CSE.

• The LAP model is useful in that it advocates equal partnerships between statutory and voluntary sectors as well as young people.

• It provides a framework for partners to begin with what they know already, to share learning and then work together to plan future work.

• Learning, Action and Partnership is ongoing – thus partners develop strategies together, reflect on these and continue to improve practices with and for young people.

Kate.D’Arcy@beds.ac.uk

For more information on our work including research publications, short films and

outputs from young people please visit www.beds.ac.uk/ic