About
“Promise Journeys” has several objectives, including 1) to design, pilot, and evaluate an adaptable working method for a child liaison who ensures the child is heard, feels comfortable and is safe to participate effectively, 2) to develop practical and child-friendly tools, an app and a child log, to inform child victims/caregivers and to log their journey through Barnahus, and 3) to raise awareness and advocacy on the local, regional, national and international level.
Children who have suffered violence will be the primary beneficiaries of the project. We expect the project to result in 1) Increased capacity to inform, support and enable participation of child victims, 2) increased quality of information and continuous support to child victims, 3) improved awareness and knowledge about child victims’ rights among wider public and duty-bearers, 4) improved transnational cooperation and exchange to achieve the Barnahus Quality Standards.
Background
Worldwide children are being exposed to a number of crimes, such as physical abuse, sexual abuse, hate-crime, trafficking and exploitation for different purposes.
As much as half of all children globally experience violence each year. In Europe alone, 20 % of all children will fall victim to some form of sexual violence. Abuse can come in many forms: directly towards the child or indirectly, for example, when the child experiences domestic violence towards a caregiver.
Research clearly shows that child abuse increases the risk over the life course for poor mental and physical health, substance abuse, poverty, and a shorter life. Considering the detrimental impacts of child abuse, there is a strong need to support children’s recovery.
This points to the need for all relevant authorities and services to work together with the child at the centre to protect and support the child in their best interests, and to ensure a safe and informed journey through Barnahus.
Our role
Promise Journeys is framed within the strategic objectives of the CBSS Children at Risk Expert Group for a Safe and Secure Baltic Sea Region in the current CAR strategy, in particular the priority on child-friendly justice and a safe path to recovery for child victims of violence, including Barnahus.
It furthermore is linked to the Barnahus Network curricula and resource bank, which will ensure continuous development and dissemination of the outputs to the broader network, which currently consists of more than 40 members in over 26 countries.
The role of the CBSS is to lead the development of the app and the child log. We will also coordinate the international expert group and play a role in supporting the child advisory board.
Partners
Save the Children Sweden (SCS) – lead partner
Barnafrid (Linköping University)
Barnahus Linköping, Sweden
BarnahusTusla Galway, Ireland
Bonigi
CBSS Children at Risk
Marie Cederschiöld University
Terre des hommes Regional Hub in Hungary (Tdh), Hungary
Duration
1 Jan 2023 – 31 Dec 2024
Contact
Olivia Lind Haldorsson, Senior Adviser and Head of the CBSS Children at Risk Unit, Phone: +46 73 056 45 92
Email: [email protected]
Funding
PROMISE Journeys is co-funded by the European Union through the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) program.
