Summary

A personal safety skills programme for use in schools or other settings which can either be delivered through a puppet/flipchart presentation or  an online presentation.

Type of intervention

Classroom setting, theatrical

Target groups, level of prevention and subgroups

• Children and Young People (Victims) | Primary prevention | Children (6-11 years), Young People (12-17 years) | Male and female | Theatrical, classroom setting | English, Khmer, Vietnamese, Thai, Nepali, Bengali, Tagalog

Target population

Children and young people aged 8 -14 years.

Delivery organisation

The programme was developed by Good Touch Bad Touch Asia, a non-governmental organisation in Cambodia. It can be delivered by a range of organisations, including schools and community groups. It is available as a free download for organisations that have child protection policies in place.

Mode and context of delivery

Good Touch Bad Touch Asia Puppets Flipchart Project is a toolkit for preventing child sexual abuse, by raising awareness and empowering school children through a personal safety skills programme. This safety skills programme is for use with school-aged children within schools or in the community, through outreach programmes and youth groups. This programme is particularly useful for use with Asian children in rural settings. The approach could be easily adapted.

The flip chart presentation of a narrative using puppets can be downloaded from the website at www.goodtouchbadtouchflipchart.org.

Level/nature of staff expertise required

Teachers, youth leaders and community workers who have completed a one day training course on the programme and on child sexual abuse.

Intensity/extent of engagement with target group(s)

One session of around 2-3 hours.

Description of intervention

The toolkit was developed as a way of communicating about sexual abuse with school aged children in Asia, in a creative way. Children learn about sexual abuse through a simple story which is set in a village and a school room, familiar to rural children. The story is presented through a series of 13 flip charts which tell the story of Asian children (both boys and girls) who are taught how to protect themselves and then how to report sexual abuse if it occurs.

The story of three school aged friends, each of whom is differently affected by sexual abuse, is graphically presented through the use of puppets. Four key messages are reinforced:

• Safety is my right
• I am valuable and so are you
• My body belongs to me
• I can get help

The story shows how one of the children is groomed with the lure of a mobile phone and a ride on a motor bike, by someone the children are familiar with but do not know well. The role of the children who are observing the grooming is explored. Areas of the body which are okay and not okay to touch are illustrated.

Following pilot testing the puppet flip chart story has been reproduced online. It is freely available to download from www.goodtouchbadtouchflipchart.org for organisations that have child protection policies in place. It is accompanied by the materials to run a one day Training for Trainers programme, to prepare those who will deliver the session to facilitate the discussion that follows and to handle any resulting disclosures.

Evaluations

It was piloted in three locations with different non-governmental organisations and then modified. The evaluations have not been published. They have been used in Cambodia and Thailand.

References

• Hilton, A. (2008) I Never Thought It Could Happen to Boys! An Exploratory Study into the Sexual Abuse of Boys in Cambodia. Hagar. World Vision/First Step/Chab Dai.
• Miles, G. and Thomas, N. (2008) Don't Grind an Egg Against a Stone: Children's Rights and Violence in Cambodia's History and Culture. Child Abuse Review, Vol. 16 (383-400)

Contact details

G. Miles
PO Box 2654, Phnom Penh 3, Kingdom of Cambodia
Website: www.goodtouchbadtouchflipchart.org.

RATING: Pioneering

Information correct at August 2019