SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN
WHAT IS SAFEGUARDING?
protecting children from abuse and maltreatment
preventing harm to children’s health or
development
ensuring children grow up with the provision of
safe and effective care
taking action to enable all children and young
people to have the best outcomes.
IS IT IMPORTANT ?
Boys and girls in Myanmar experience significant
child protection issues including violence, abuse,
neglect and exploitation, recruitment into armed
conflict, early marriage and child trafficking.
Nearly 20% of girls are married before the age of 18.3
The majority (77%) of children experience violent
forms of discipline, including shaking or hitting with
a hard object,
while 13% of children under age 5 are left alone or in
the care of another child younger than age 10.3
Children in the poorest families are more than 4
times as likely to be left unattended.
The child protection system is weak at all levels,
particularly in communities.(Ref: Save the children)
TYPES OF CHILD ABUSE
Physical
Sexual
Emotional
Neglect
Exploitation
Bullying
Cyberbullying
Child trafficking
Child labour
Abandonment
Parental substance use
MYANMAR
Crisis- killed, seriously injured, arbitrarily detained
without access to legal counsel, forced to flee their homes
and communities (Ref: Unicef report)
Recruitment into armed conflict
Parents died
Poverty
Care home
Child trafficking
Child labour
PHYSICAL ABUSE
Non accidental physical injury
caused by a parent, caregiver, or other person
responsible for a child
punching, beating, kicking, biting, shaking,
throwing, stabbing, choking, hitting (with a
hand, stick, strap, or other object), burning, or
otherwise causing physical harm.
Physical discipline, such as spanking , is not
considered abuse as long as it is reasonable and
causes no bodily injury to the child.
Injuries from physical abuse could range from
minor bruises to severe fractures or death.
SEXUAL ABUSE
includes activities such as fondling a child’s
genitals, penetration, incest, rape, sodomy,
indecent exposure, and exploitation through
prostitution or the production of pornographic
materials
by a parent or other caregiver
NEGLECT – MOST COMMON
failure of a parent or other caregiver to provide for a child’s basic
needs.
Physical (e.g., failure to provide necessary food or shelter, lack of
appropriate supervision) ƒ ,Abandonment
Medical (e.g., failure to provide necessary medical or mental health
treatment, withholding medically indicated treatment from children
with life-threatening conditions)
Educational (e.g., failure to educate a child or attend to special
education needs) ƒ
Emotional (e.g., inattention to a child’s emotional needs, failure to
provide psychological care, permitting a child to use alcohol or other
drugs)
**cultural values, the standards of care in the community, and
poverty may contribute
**living in poverty is not considered child abuse or neglect
However, a family’s failure to use available information and resources
to care for their child may put the child’s health or safety at risk, and
child welfare intervention could be required.
EMOTIONAL ABUSE (OR PSYCHOLOGICAL
ABUSE)
a pattern of behaviour that impairs a child’s
emotional development or sense of self-worth.
constant criticism, threats, or rejection as well as
withholding love, support, or guidance.
often difficult to prove
*Verbal
PREVENTING HARM TO CHILDREN’S
HEALTH OR DEVELOPMENT
RIGHTS OF THE CHILD
All boys and girls have the right to be protected
from violence, exploitation, abuse and neglect.
The right of children to protection from serious
harm is enshrined in the Convention on the
Rights of the Child, to which Myanmar is a
signatory, and the Myanmar Child Rights Law
enacted in 2019.
WHO’S RESPONSIBLE
HOW CAN WE PROTECT ?
All organisations that work with or come into
contact with children should have safeguarding
policies and procedures to ensure that every
child, regardless of their age, disability, gender
reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or
sexual orientation, has a right to equal protection
from harm.
Setting up and following good safeguarding
policies and procedures****
NOTHING → SOMETHING
STARTING------RUINED
HOW CAN WE HELP
Recognize
Recording
Reporting
Refer
RECOGNIZE
first step
recognize the signs of maltreatment
closer look at the situation
these signs appear repeatedly or in combination.
SIGNS OF PHYSICAL ABUSE- CHILD
Has unexplained injuries, such as burns, bites,
bruises, broken bones, or black eyes
Has fading bruises or other noticeable marks after an
absence from school ƒ
Seems scared, anxious, depressed, withdrawn, or
aggressive ƒ
Seems frightened of his or her parents and protests or
cries when it is time to go home
Shrinks at the approach of adults ƒ
Shows changes in eating and sleeping habits ƒ
Reports injury by a parent or another adult caregiver ƒ
Abuses animals or pets
SIGNS OF PHYSICAL ABUSE- PARENT/CARE GIVER
Offers conflicting, unconvincing, or no
explanation for the child’s injury
provides an explanation that is not consistent
with the injury ƒ
Shows little concern for the child ƒ
Sees the child as entirely bad, burdensome, or
worthless ƒ
Uses harsh physical discipline with the child
Has a history of abusing animals or pets
SIGNS OF SEXUAL ABUSE- CHILD
Has difficulty walking or sitting ƒ
Experiences bleeding, bruising, or swelling in their private
parts ƒ
Suddenly refuses to go to school
Reports nightmares or bedwetting ƒ
Experiences a sudden change in appetite ƒ
Demonstrates bizarre, sophisticated, or unusual sexual
knowledge or behaviour ƒ
Becomes pregnant or contracts a sexually transmitted
disease, particularly if under age 14 ƒ
Runs away ƒ
Reports sexual abuse by a parent or another adult
caregiver ƒ
Attaches very quickly to strangers or new adults in their
environment
SIGNS OF SEXUAL ABUSE- PARENT/ CARE GIVER
Tries to be the child’s friend rather than assume
an adult role ƒ
Makes up excuses to be alone with the child
Talks with the child about the adult’s personal
problems or relationships
SIGNS OF EMOTIONAL MALTREATMENT
Shows extremes in behaviour, such as being
overly compliant or demanding, extremely
passive, or aggressive ƒ
Is either inappropriately adult (e.g., parenting
other children) or inappropriately infantile (e.g.,
frequently rocking or head-banging) ƒ
Is delayed in physical or emotional development
Shows signs of depression or suicidal thoughts
Reports an inability to develop emotional bonds
with others
Parent/caregiver- Constantly blames, belittles, or
berates the child ƒDescribes the child negatively ƒ
Overtly rejects the child
SIGNS OF NEGLECT
Is frequently absent from school ƒ
Begs or steals food or money ƒ
Lacks needed medical care (including
immunizations), dental care, or glasses ƒ
Is consistently dirty and has severe body odor
Lacks sufficient clothing for the weather ƒ
Abuses alcohol or other drugs ƒ
States that there is no one at home to provide care
Parent/caregiver -appears to be indifferent to the
child, Seems apathetic or depressed, Behaves
irrationally or in a bizarre manner, Abuses alcohol or
other drugs
WHERE
Home
School
Online
Disabled children
Runaway & Homeless Children
Cross border
Crisis area
CHILD PROTECTION
part of the safeguarding process
focuses on protecting individual children
identified as suffering or likely to suffer
significant harm
This includes child protection procedures which
detail how to respond to concerns about a child.
CHILD PROTECTION
Developed countries have child protection system
and laws to help protect children from abuse and
neglect.
Have a framework of legislation, guidance and
practice to identify children who are at risk of
harm, take action to protect those children and
prevent further abuse occurring.
Have their own policies and laws around
education, health and social welfare.
This covers most aspects of safeguarding and
child protection.
TO IDENTIFY AND SUPPORT CHILDREN AT
RISK OF HARM.
Local
authority
Clinical Police
SERVICES WHICH MIGHT BE INVOLVED
WITH CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
Children's social care;
Specialist health or disability services;
Youth Justice Service;
CAMHS;
Family support services;
Voluntary and community services;
Drug and alcohol services;
Sexual exploitation service/ team;
Universal services
CHALLENGES
Keeping children safe from violence, abuse and
exploitation in Myanmar was already a major
challenge before the current crisis.
In 2020, 56 children were killed and 160 maimed – in
many cases the result of coming into contact with
landmines and unexploded ordnance.
Prior to the military takeover on 1 February, the
United Nations had identified more than 1 million
people in need of humanitarian support. These
included 455,000 children, mainly in Kachin, Rakhine
and Shan states. Now the number has increased to 3
million people.
Most of these children live in situations where child
protection systems are weak and monitoring the
situation of children is challenging.
Many children are also on the move, accompanying
family members who are migrants or moving from
their communities to find employment or education.
Almost one-fifth of Myanmar’s population are lifetime
migrants. The children who live and move with them
often become more vulnerable, sometimes even falling
victim to trafficking, forced marriage or commercial
sexual exploitation.
The long-standing vulnerabilities of many children in
Myanmar have been grievously exacerbated by
COVID-19 and the current crisis. As a result, too
many children are unsafe.
The difficulties of getting help to the children most in
need and the increased risks faced by humanitarian
personnel are hampering efforts to deliver critical
child protection services.
