Tulir Workshop Series-Oct. 30 - Nov. 2-Chennai

A society’s integrity and worth is not based on whether cases of  sexual  violence against children happen. Instead it is based on the acceptance of the possibilities of  occurrence and proactive steps taken to  both safeguard and respond in a timely and appropriate way to ensure that its children may benefit from its caring and foresight to truly have the right to be safe all the time, everywhere.

Preventing and healing child sexual abuse require equal parts of caring, optimism and pragmatism. We must care deeply for our children, be optimistic about human being's capabilities for change and be pragmatic how to work with children and the larger community to bring about positive transformation.

Tulir - Center for the Prevention and Healing of Child Sexual Abuse ‘s  continuing workshop series   - Connecting the Dots  renders  the abstract notions of prevention and healing into a blue print for action.  Supported by Foreign & Commonwealth Office, UK  it  will be held  in Chennai  between  October  30, 2017- Nov.2, 2017.  

Topics in the order of schedule (Scroll down for details)

Public education - Keeping children  and young people safe from sexual abuse -  online and offline - Oct. 30, 2017

Understanding  child sex abusers Oct. 31, 2017

 Preventing CSA in institutions – Safer recruitment and sound policies -  Nov.1,   2017

Understanding and responding to institutional based abuse - Nov. 2, 2017   

The lead facilitator  Mr. Findlater,  has been  working in the area of child sexual abuse prevention for over 20 years. He was, until recently, Director of Research and Development with child protection charity, The Lucy Faithfull Foundation (www.lucyfaithfull.org.uk) . He also  set up  Stop it Now! UK and Ireland Project, with support from Fran Henry and colleagues from the US (www.stopitnow.org.uk) . In 2009 he and a few colleagues set up the child sexual abuse prevention website Parents Protect (www.parentsprotect.co.uk) . And currently he is revising and extending the  ECSA website – Eradicating Child Sexual Abuse (http://ecsa.lucyfaithfull.org/) which includes details of CSA prevention programmes from across the globe.

Since limited seats are available, participants will be selected based on their completed  application forms which should be received by Oct. 28, 2017 (Please find attached an Application form). Participants will be informed of their acceptance  within a day of Tulir  receiving the application.  Venue particulars  will be given   on confirmation of acceptance of participation. 

Participants will have to make their own travel and accommodation arrangements. However a  limited number of travel and accommodation  sponsorships are available and their award is entirely at the discretion of Tulir.

Refreshments and relevant learning material  will be provided during the workshop which will be in English.

Registration fees will be Rs 800/- per day. You may send a DD in the name of Tulir Charitable Trust or if you wish to pay by electronic transfer our bank details  will be provided at the time of acceptance

For further queries please contact  044-26618026 or preventcsa@gmail.com

Public Education - Keeping children  and young people safe from sexual abuse

We don't wait until a child has been abused. Our focus is to prevent abuse from happening in the first place.  And we do this through public education and awareness  sessions  with various stakeholders involved with a child’s  well being.

This workshop will be divided into two  parts and  seeks to give attendees the wherewithal to do their own  outreach .

The first session on child sexual abuse prevention  covers risks to children, how abusers operate, signs to look out for in children, as well as adults who may pose a risk, practical protective measures to take, acting on concerns.

The second half covers the risks to children through the internet and includes  - impact of inappropriate or adult material,   exploitation of a child through the internet, cyberbullying and sexting.

Understanding  child sex abusers

Will provide the knowledge and insight required to understand the causes and manifestations of child sexual abuse, incorporating perspectives on sexual abuse within the family, and wider perspectives on the impact of the internet and concerns around child sexual exploitation  and  will be of interest to all child and public protection professionals. Content will include  - The models used to understand the origins and expression of sexually abusive behaviour -  The process of sexually abusive behaviour in a variety of contexts - What we mean by ‘risk’ and ‘risk management’  and  Defensible decision-making.

Preventing CSA in institutions – Safer Recruitment and Sound Policies

Organizations and individuals who work with children and young people, or are involved in providing services for them, have a duty to safeguard and promote their welfare.  It is imperative that  any  youth and child serving organization gain the skills to protect children and young people through safer recruitment. Additionally In particular, schools and education settings are becoming increasingly accountable for safeguarding children when recruiting and selecting staff. Course content includes:

Safer recruitment and the wider context of safeguarding, Prevalence of abuse and profile of abusers, How abusers operate within organizations, Features of a safer recruitment process, Planning a safer recruitment process, Making the right decisions: interview and selection, Setting acceptable standards of behaviour, Maintaining an ongoing culture of vigilance.

By the end of the course, participants will have : Identified key features of staff recruitment that help deter or prevent the appointment of unsuitable people, Consider policies and practices that minimize opportunities for abuse or ensure its prompt reporting.

Understanding and responding to institutional based abuse   

A sizable number of children  spend  a significant time in institutional settings -  schools, hostels,   children’s homes -  both Govt and privately managed , and other similar facilities which cater exclusively to children. It is unfortunate however,  that  often the very people  and structures entrusted with the care and well being of  children – wardens, administrators,   teachers, are the violators of this trust reposed in them. The  sadder reality is that more often than not  cases of  sexual violence against children,  in institutional settings are hidden and concealed, with traumatized child victims  revictimized through threats and blame  and  the  adults  responsible for the violence shielded,  pardoned,  and  emboldened to continue.

As  the reporting of institutional  based  allegations swell, it is increasingly becoming clear that  a wider and better  understanding of the  protocols to be followed while  sifting through information to substantiate or refute,  taking into account practical aspects of enquiry and the theoretical  and ethical underpinnings of assisting   with vulnerable  children in extremely complex environments, is necessitated .

We will  be looking at the unique nature of sexual abuse that occurs within an institutional environment. While there are many similarities to familial sexual abuse, institutions have a different set of dynamics around which sexual abuse may occur. The workshop will explore those dynamics and the typical responses that happen after initial disclosures ,the ways in which disclosures occur  and good practices to address them