Summary

A programme of work with children and young people delivered by volunteers in schools, summer camps and other settings to enable them to recognise the risk of abuse in both the online and ‘real world’ environment.

Type of intervention

Classroom setting, peer support

Target groups, level of prevention and subgroups

• Children and Young People (Victims) | Primary prevention | Young People (12-17 years) | Male and female | Classroom setting, peer support | English

Target population

The Peer to Peer Programme aims to provide information to pupils aged 13-16 years, via a group of specially trained students, aged 18-20 years. The target groups are children aged 13-16 years and school staff.

Delivery organisation

La Strada International Centre for the Protection and Promotion of Women Rights, Moldova.

Mode and context of delivery

The La Strada International Centre has ten years of experience in conducting peer to peer programmes dedicated to preventing the trafficking of human beings and five years of experience working to prevent the sexual exploitation of children.

The sexual exploitation of children prevention programme was based on La Strada’s experience in providing direct services to child victims of sexual exploitation. The programme aims to raise awareness among children and to provide information about how they can recognise child sexual exploitation (CSE) and help to prevent themselves from becoming victims. The programme was endorsed by the Ministry of Education and the seminars are delivered at the request of local educational departments.

Level/nature of staff expertise required

The International Centre recruits a team of 25 volunteers annually who are trained during a three day programme (training of trainers) on the prevention of sexual commercial exploitation. The volunteers are students in University faculties including psychology, social assistance and pedagogy, who following training, become peer to peer educators. The selection criteria include a background in working with children.

The peer to peer programme includes the following stages of preparation for delivering education activities in schools:

• Training of trainers
• Supervision session organised by a Peer to Peer Coordinator (the new volunteers participate as observers in the seminars organised by experienced volunteers or the Peer to Peer Coordinator)
• Conducting seminars in pairs - the seminar is delivered by one experienced volunteer and one newly trained volunteer. The Peer to Peer Coordinator provides feedback after the seminar.
• Delivering a seminar as an independent trainer. The Peer to Peer Coordinator decides when the new trainer is ready to provide seminars independently.

Intensity/extent of engagement with target group(s)

The seminar on the prevention of the sexual exploitation of children is 45 or 90 minutes in length and the format is interactive. The activities organised in Summer Camp, or in partnership with Youth Centres, take 90 minutes.

Description of intervention

The aims of the awareness raising activities are to provide information about abusive situations, especially the most grave, such as trafficking and sexual abuse and to teach children how they can begin to protect themselves. During the seminar the trainer explains the services provided by a Toll Free Hotline - 0800 77777.

The programme includes the following topics:

• Sexual commercial exploitation of children (SCEC) – what does it mean? The scale of the issue in the Republic of Moldova and in the wider world.
• The SCEC mechanism: profile of child victims of exploitation and the profile of the perperators. Group discussion.
• How children can protect themselves from online grooming. Practical exercise.
• How to identify SCEC cases and who can help in this situation?
• Useful tips/advice.
• Evaluation

By the end of the seminar, the participant will be aware of:

• The types of SCEC
• The recruiting/grooming methods used by perpetrators
• Useful tips for children on how to use the Internet safely and how to remain safe from SCEC in real life
• The organizations providing assistance in cases of SCEC

Evaluation

The 90 minute seminars were evaluated using pre and post evaluation questionnaires. The 45 minute seminars were evaluated via brainstorming activities at the end of the awareness seminar.

References

The peer to peer guideline “Prevention of Sexual Exploitation of children”, International Center “La Strada”, 2012.
What we know about sexual Exploitation of Children?” informational guide International Center “La Strada”, 2011.

Both are also available in Romanian language.

Contact details

Email: voluntari@lastrada.md

Website: http://lastrada.md/

 

INFORMATION CORRECT AT JULY 2021

RATING: Pioneering