Deputy Protector of Citizens for the Rights of the Child, Jelena Stojanovic, pointed out today the importance of informing children about all forms of violence in a way adapted to their age and stressed that children should be empowered to learn to protect themselves and report suspicions of exploitation, abuse or violence.
"When we talk about prevention, children should first of all be informed about all forms of violence in a way adapted to their age and should know how to recognize it, as well as be aware of the risks of various forms of exploitation, abuse and human trafficking", Stojanovic said at the presentation of the "Guide to Child Safety" (Guide to improving the internal mechanisms of the child safety organization) developed by the Network of Organizations for Children of Serbia (MODS) with the support of the Australian Embassy in Serbia.
"The Protector of Citizens believes that it is necessary to empower children to learn to protect themselves and encourage them to report suspicions of sexual or any other exploitation, abuse or violence. According to the authors of the guide, children can be exposed to sexual exploitation and abuse, violence and neglect in their families, communities, organizations, in private and public places and in various circumstances", said Stojanovic.
Stojanovic also stated that persons who commit violence against children can be from different backgrounds and different levels of closeness to the child, including professionals who are engaged in helping and supporting children.
"The Protector of Citizens believes that clearly defined processes and standards, as well as parameters for risk assessment are a great help for improving the internal mechanisms of organizations dealing with the protection of children in any field. In that sense, the guide is of great importance for improving the work of organizations dealing with child protection, but above all for improving the overall protection of the rights and interests of the child", said Stojanovic.
The Deputy Protector of Citizens estimated that the instructions from the guide will supplement the knowledge and skills of professionals from various protection systems who will be able to respond to numerous challenges when it comes to child safety.
The Ambassador of Australia to Serbia, Daniel Emery, pointed out that there must be no tolerance when it comes to child abuse and harassment. "The Australian Embassy believes that organizations working with children have an important role to play in protecting them, but we are aware that they need mechanisms to reduce potential risks. The guide represents one such mechanism", said the Australian ambassador.
UNICEF Deputy Director in Serbia, Yosi Echeverry Burckhardt, pointed out that UNICEF is committed to improving the protection of children and respecting the best interests of children in all activities related to them. "This means that we actively promote the principle of child welfare and ask all organizations that work with children and for children to put this in the first place among the principles they apply in their work".
MODS Director, Sasa Stefanovic, reminded that violence against children is widespread in all environments where children live, and that the risk of violence against children exists in many different organizations that gather and work with children.
"That is why it is necessary for every association, club, school of acting or sports, summer or science camp, research and educational center for talented children (as well as in every other form of gathering and organized work with children and youth) to show in action their commitment to preserving the safety of children with whom they work and to establish and implement procedures that will ensure that their employees and activities do not harm children and that they react in a timely and adequate manner if that happens", said Stefanovic.