How Has the Presence of Zimbabwe’s Victim-Friendly Court and Relevant Child Protection Policy and Legal Frameworks Affected the Management of Intrafamilial Child Sexual Abuse in Zimbabwe? The Case of Marondera District

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (11) ◽  
pp. 1748-1777 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Shuko Musiwa
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Child Rights ◽  
Protection Policy ◽  
Legal Frameworks ◽  
National Constitution ◽  
Intrafamilial Child Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Protection Policy

The study intended to assess, based on the perceptions of Victim-Friendly Court (VFC) professionals in Marondera District in Zimbabwe, how the presence of the VFC and relevant child protection policy and legal frameworks has affected the management of Intrafamilial Child Sexual Abuse (ICSA) in Zimbabwe. Sem-istructured questionnaires were administered to 25 professionals from 13 VFC agencies in Marondera, while one-on-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 key informants who included five ICSA survivors and their respective five caregivers as well as five key community child protection committee members. All 40 participants were selected using purposive sampling. Data were analyzed manually using thematic analysis, descriptive analysis, and document analysis. The study showed that the VFC manages ICSA through prevention, protection, treatment, and support interventions, and that its mandate is guided by key child protection policy and legal frameworks, particularly the National Action Plan for Orphaned and Vulnerable Children and the Children’s Act (Chapter 5:06). The presence of these mechanisms is perceived to have resulted in increased awareness of ICSA, realization of effective results, increased reporting of ICSA, and enhanced coordination among VFC agencies. However, the same frameworks are perceived to be fraught with gaps and inconsistencies, too prescriptive, incoherent with some key aspects of the National Constitution and international child rights standards, and poorly resourced for effective implementation. All this has negatively affected the management of ICSA. Therefore, the Government of Zimbabwe should consistently review these systems to make them responsive to the ever-evolving factors associated with ICSA. Also, alignment with the National Constitution, full domestication of global child rights instruments, and routine collection of better statistics for evidence-based policy- and decision-making, and for better monitoring of progress and evaluation of outcomes, are necessary for positive results. Non-governmental stakeholders too should chip in with human, technical, and financial resources to enhance effective management of the social problem.

scholarly journals A Case of Incest in a Malaysian Child: The Ethical and Legal Implications

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 101-105
Author(s):  
Nur Jannah Abdul Ghani ◽  
Siti Aqilah Muhamad ◽  
Nur’amahirah Hasan Zaki ◽  
Mohd Assyakir Shamsuddin ◽  
Fahisham Taib
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Life Experiences ◽  
Ethical Perspective ◽  
Rehabilitation Process ◽  
Protection Policy ◽  
Legal Implications ◽  
The World ◽  
Child Protection Policy

Serious crimes, especially child sexual abuse and rape have become one of the most unsettling issues all over the world. Survivors of these ordeals are facing and suffering from traumatic life experiences. We illustrated a case of a 13-year-old girl who was involved in an incestuous relationship and the challenges from the ethical perspective of a professional. It is essential that healthcare professionals be equipped with awareness on the legal impact of such case – related to child protection policy, child rehabilitation process and the penal code related to such event.

Constructing a Child Protection Policy to Support a Safeguarding Children Culture in Organisations and Institutions

2015 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 78-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joe Tucci ◽  
Janise Mitchell ◽  
Deb Holmes ◽  
Craig Hemsworth ◽  
Leonie Hemsworth
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Young People ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Royal Commission ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
Protection Policy ◽  
Critical Elements ◽  
The Past ◽  
Institutional Responses ◽  
Child Protection Policy

Thousands of hours of evidence of trauma, pain and culpability presented to the current Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse have left no doubt that organisations have always been and continue to be responsible for enacting a culture that ensures that their own staff and volunteers do not harm, abuse or exploit children who are involved directly or indirectly with the activities or services provided by the organisation. In the past 6 years, through its Safeguarding Children Accreditation Program, the Australian Childhood Foundation has worked with more than 100 organisations nationally and internationally to strengthen their capacity to protect children and young people. Our experience has highlighted that substantial confusion exists about how to construct a child protection policy that frames the expectations and responsibilities of individuals who work, volunteer or use the services/activities of an organisation. In this paper, the authors offer a blueprint for considering the critical elements of a child protection policy that organisations can use to evaluate and possibly reconfigure or formulate their own. The paper outlines the function of the child protection policy in an organisation; the principles for constructing the policy; and an example of content for a child protection policy. The authors conclude that, if constructed with heart and sensitivity, a child protection policy can shape and define the very narrative about what the organisation stands for in relation to the safety of children and the responsibilities of adults to fulfilling the rights of children and young people more broadly.

scholarly journals The effectiveness and impact of the child protection and criminal justice systems in cases of intrafamilial child sexual abuse

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Gekoski ◽  
Miranda A.H Horvath ◽  
Julia C Davidson
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Child Sexual Abuse ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Intrafamilial Child Sexual Abuse ◽  
The Uk

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report on the findings from a study commissioned by the Office of the Children’s Commissioner (OCC) in England, concerning intrafamilial child sexual abuse (IFCSA)/incest. Specifically, it aims to explore the evidence about child protection and criminal justice responses to victims of IFCSA in the UK and where the gaps in these approaches lie. Design/methodology/approach – A Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA) was used, the function of which is to: search the literature as comprehensively as possible within given time constraints; collate descriptive outlines of the available evidence on a topic and critically appraise it; sift out studies of poor quality; and provide an overview of the evidence. Over 57,000 documents were scanned, and 296 ultimately systematically analysed. Findings – It was found that children may be re-victimised by various aspects of “the system” and professionals within it, including social workers, police officers, and lawyers. Research limitations/implications – A REA is not a full systematic review, differing in the scope and depth of the searches and depending almost exclusively on electronic databases, not accompanied by searching journals by hand. Originality/value – The findings of this research provide the evidence-base for a new two-year inquiry into the subject of IFCSA by the OCC.

scholarly journals Implementation of Child Protection Policy in a Public School

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 61-62
Author(s):  
Japhet Z. Matulac ◽  
Karen L. Zamora
Keyword(s):  
Public School ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
School Personnel ◽  
Department Of Education ◽  
Child Safety ◽  
Safe Environment ◽  
Protection Policy ◽  
School Year ◽  
Child Protection Policy

Child protection policy gives guidelines and rules to the Child Protection Committee to create a secured and safe environment for learners. It is a tool that protects both learners and school personnel by clearly characterizing the arrangements and measures for child protection and by practicing a reliable behavior toward child-safety. Hence, the paper examines the level of implementation of the Department of Education (DepEd) Child Protection from a public school in the Division of Bacolod City during the School Year 2018-2019. This study was conducted to create awareness among school personnel regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the implementation of the Child Protection Policy in its jurisdiction.  The researcher utilized the result of the study in making an action plan that serves as a mechanism to ensure the school's full implementation of its Child Protection Policy.

scholarly journals The prevalence, nature, and impact of intrafamilial child sexual abuse: findings from a rapid evidence assessment

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 231-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Gekoski ◽  
Julia C. Davidson ◽  
Miranda A.H. Horvath
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Child Victims ◽  
Male Victims ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Intrafamilial Child Sexual Abuse

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report on the findings from a study commissioned by the Office of the Children’s Commissioner (OCC) in England, concerning intrafamilial child sexual abuse (IFCSA)/incest. Specifically, it aims to explore what is known about the prevalence, nature, and impact of IFCSA and where the gaps in knowledge lie. Design/methodology/approach A rapid evidence assessment (REA) was used, the function of which is to: search the literature as comprehensively as possible within given time constraints; collate descriptive outlines of the available evidence on a topic and critically appraise it; sift out studies of poor quality; and provide an overview of the evidence. Over 57,000 documents were scanned, and 296 ultimately systematically analysed. Findings It was found that: there is wide variation in prevalence rates between studies; girls are more likely to be victims than boys; the onset of abuse is typically school age; abuse in minority groups is under-reported; sibling abuse may be more common than that by fathers; female perpetrated abuse may be under-reported; families where abuse occurs are often dysfunctional; and IFCSA has significant adverse effects on victims. Research limitations/implications A REA is not a full systematic review, differing in the scope and depth of the searches and depending almost exclusively on electronic databases, not accompanied by searching journals by hand. Practical implications This work found numerous gaps in current knowledge about IFCSA, which the authors recommend be addressed by further research, including: the scale and nature of IFCSA in disabled victims, research on BME children’s experiences; the prevalence of abuse by stepfathers as compared to biological fathers; the experiences of male victims; the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered child victims; the short-term impact of IFCSA based on child victims’ experiences; and more widely, further research on the prevalence of abuse in clinical populations and the relationship between that and prevalence in wider society. In addition to such questions, the OCC inquiry will also investigate issues surrounding child protection and criminal justice responses to (IF)CSA and how these might be improved. The evidence base for this section of the inquiry is reported in Gekoski et al. (2016). Originality/value The findings of this research provide the evidence base for a new two-year inquiry into the subject of IFCSA by the OCC.

scholarly journals Early Prevention of Maternal Sexual Abuse

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jelena Gerke ◽  
Tatjana Dietz
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Child Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Maltreatment ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Early Prevention ◽  
Marginalized Groups ◽  
Raising Awareness ◽  
Hebrew University ◽  
Research Findings

AbstractChild sexual abuse has been discussed thoroughly; however, marginalized groups of victims such as victims of child sexual abuse in early childhood and victims of maternal sexual abuse have rarely been considered. This essay combines these two relevant perspectives in child protection and aims to pin out future directions in the field of child abuse and specifically maternal sexual abuse and its early prevention. In the course of the 7th Haruv International PhD Workshop on Child Maltreatment at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, in 2019 the topics of maternal sexual abuse and early prevention of child maltreatment in Germany were discussed and intertwined. Problems concerning the specific research of maternal sexual abuse in early childhood and prevention were identified. Both, maternal sexual abuse as well as sexual abuse in early childhood, i.e. before the age of three, are underreported topics. Society still follows a “friendly mother illusion” while recent cases in German media as well as research findings indicate that the mother can be a perpetrator of child sexual abuse. Similarly, sexual abuse in early childhood, namely abuse before the age of three, is existent; although the recognition of it is difficult and young children are, in regards to their age and development especially vulnerable. They need protective adults in their environment, who are aware of sexual abuse in the first years of life. Raising awareness on marginalized or tabooed topics can be a form of prevention. An open dialog in research and practice about the so far marginalized topics of maternal sexual abuse and sexual abuse in early childhood is crucial.

Law Enforcement on Child Sexual Abuse in Manado City

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-34
Author(s):  
Nontje Rimbing ◽  
Meiske T. Sondakh ◽  
Eske N. Worang
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Child Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Juvenile Justice System ◽  
Criminal Code ◽  
The North ◽  
North Sulawesi ◽  
Legal Method ◽  
Special Rules

This study investigates child sexual abuse cases that remain high in Manado as well as its law enforcement against the perpetrators, especially for underage perpetrators. By using a normative legal method, this research paper aims to examine legal materials, namely the Criminal Code and the Child Protection Law No. 35 of 2014 by collecting empirical data about law enforcement by the North Sulawesi Regional Police. The findings indicate that the law enforcement on underage perpetrators depends on the investigators in charge, in principle, under Law no. 35 of 2014, and they are detained in Child Care Centers of Tomohon. Also, this research specifically underlined that law enforcement against underage perpetrators has followed the procedures of the juvenile justice system, while the victims do need special attention of institutions outside the police. To ensure the rights to education in detention, this study suggests to make special rules regarding the obligation of teachers to provide private lessons.

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