Warsaw Network of Assistance to Sexually Abused Children

In September and October 2009, in the frame of the Childhood without Abuse Project, the Nobody's Children Foundation organized two local trainings preparing professionals to work with children who experienced sexual abuse.

The trainings are one of the components of the Warsaw Network of Assistance to Sexually Abused Children run by the Nobody's Children Foundation in cooperation with Warsaw City Hall, Social Policy Department and Education Department.

The motivation behind creating the network was to fill in the gap existing in the local system of social support, where the number of free rehabilitation services for children who suffered sexual abuse was identified as not enough. The Network gathers non governmental organizations and institutions, including residential institutions, assisting child victims of abuse, based in different parts of Warsaw.

In the frame of the Network 40 selected psychologists and pedagogues participate in a yearly training programme on diagnosis, intervention and psychological assistance to sexually abused children. It is planned that after the programme they will be able to diagnose children and provide support or, when necessary, refer to the institutions where therapeutic assistance will be offered. One of the aims of their work will be to prevent placing children in the institutions by supporting the families experiencing crisis caused by the sexual abuse of the child. The professionals will be constantly given opportunity to develop their competences through trainings and supervisions. A manual covering the issues of diagnosis, intervention and therapy with children who survived sexual abuse is now being created to further support them in their work.

The Network will be inaugurated in June 2010. Apart from direct support offered to children and their families, it will contribute to the implementation of the social campaign raising public awareness of the problem of sexual abuse and other educational activities.