With EU support, law enforcement officers and children`s rights advocates get acquainted with the best practices for the prevention of online violence against children
90 police officers and defenders of children's rights from Kyiv, Vinnytsia and Lviv regions attended an online training "Preventing sexual violence against children on the Internet", where they got acquainted with the experience of the Netherlands in overcoming the problem of cyberviolence against children. This event begins the active phase of implementation of the project "Empowering Law Enforcement in overcoming online Violence against Children", which has been implemented by a consortium of civil society organizations with the financial support of the European Union since January 2022.
"The unprecedented challenges that Ukraine faces today increase the risk of violence, and in particular the violation of the digital rights of children. We want Ukrainian citizens to feel safer, so the European Union remains consistent in improving cybersecurity in Ukraine and strengthening the readiness of law enforcement agencies to effectively prevent and respond to child abuse online", — said Xavier Camus, Head of the Good Governance and Democratisation section at the EU Delegation to Ukraine.
During the training, Natalia Lukyanova and Ilona Yeleneva (NGO "Labour and Health Social Initiatives " (LHSI), Ukraine) together with international expert Sarah de Vos (International Child Development Initiatives (ICDI), the Netherlands) discussed with the participants four main types of online sexual violence and the problems of information disclosure and reports of sexual violence on the Internet. A new tool for the prevention of online violence against children CYBERSAFE was presented, as well as Ukrainian experience in its adaptation.
"Online violence can also harm children, as can violence in real life, — said international expert Sarah de Vos. — But it's important not to condemn the child, but to create a safe space to talk about it."
"The European experience is very relevant for us, specialists in the protection of children's rights in Ukraine. Especially now, when our country is at war and children are experiencing various types of violence, both in real life and on the Internet, — says Natalia Lukyanova, project coordinator from LHSI. — This online training was made possible by our long-term cooperation with colleagues from the Netherlands and is based on the recommendations of the Report "Quick Assessment of the Situation on Cybersecurity of Children 10-18 years old", which was prepared within the framework of the Project in the summer of 2022".
In total, it is expected that more than 1000 police officers, cyber police personnel, and educators will undergo training within the project. Research is already underway and preventive programs are being developed for children 10-18 years old; professional training and advanced training programs for law enforcement officers; The development of regional strategies for the digital safety of children begins.
Background information:
The three-year project "Empowering Law Enforcement in overcoming online Violence against Children" is implemented by the All-Ukrainian Charity “Child Well-Being Fund Ukraine”, the All-Ukrainian Public Centre “Volonter” and the NGO "Labour and Health Social Initiatives" with more than 400 000 EUR of financial support from the European Union. The pilot regions are Kyiv, Vinnitsa and Lviv oblasts. The project's duration is 2022-2024.
For additional information, please contact Kseniya Matskevych: pr@lhsi.org.ua, +380503729200
