
We understand childhood trauma, and we care to take action.
According to a recent global study, at least half of the children in Asia experienced violence in 2015 (Hillis, Mercy, Amobi, Kress 2016). This proportion is believed to have significantly increased in 2020 with the social measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as work-or-study-from-home requirements and nonessential business closures. The widespread stress and new dynamics caused by this global disruption puts children at greater risk to harm and violence.
We all have a role to play in preventing violence against children and keeping children safe online and offline. WeSafeguardKids play an active part in safeguarding children through educational programs and innovative solutions. We mitigate the consequences of violence, particularly sexual abuse, through our alternative healing programs that supplement the treatment delivered by trauma care providers.
Our programs align with the INSPIRE Strategies, an evidence-based technical package to address violence against children developed with the leadership of the World Health Organization.
Examples of how our work supports the seven strategies are shown in the table below.
I | Implementation and enforcement of laws |
We support law enforcement officials with child safety training. | |
N | Norms and values change |
We support lawmakers with drafting child safety legislation. We also advocate for compassion and understanding of child victims of trauma on their journey from discovery to recovery. | |
S | Safe environments |
We work with social workers and community policing offers to send child victims to safe homes. | |
P | Parental and caregiver support |
We train parents and caregivers on online child safety and how to mitigate risks to online harm. We guide parents on how to maintain an open channel of communication with their children to prevent harm online and offline. | |
I | Income and economic strengthening |
We source our products from local creators and growers, whenever possible. The social workers in our network guide parents and caregivers on solutions to financial concerns while keeping the safety and best interests of the child at heart. | |
R | Response services provision |
We teach children how to report abuse. We educate trauma care providers on mindfulness of the needs of child victims of severe trauma. We also partner with experts in the field of self-compassion to boost the emotional wellbeing of those who work on the frontline. | |
E | Education and life skills |
We educate children on online safety, empathetic interactions, and how to respond to harm. |
SafeguardKids values the role that our partners play alongside us in applying these strategies to keep children safe. In short, we
- enagage our network of non-government or civil society organizations, corporations and government agencies as part of their humanitarian or corporate social responsibility programs,
- prevent children from becoming the victim of violence and sexual abuse,
- provide treatment and support for victimized children,
- reintegrate children who have lived on the street into society and caring families, and
- develop solutions and share information and methods with other organizations in order to reach and help as many children as possible.