Protecting children from abuse
Child safety is everyone's concern.
The purpose of this project
SOS Children’s Villages Kazakhstan bears full responsibility for the health, safety and future of the children and young people we work with. Our task is to take all necessary measures to ensure that our staff, representatives, programs and work formats do not cause harm to children and do not expose them to any risks.
We believe that neglect or abuse of children is unacceptable. This is set out in our Child and Young Persons Protection from Abuse Policy. This document is based on the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children and the Keeping Children Safe standards for protecting children from abuse.
The SOS Children's Villages protection policy clearly states:
The Child and Young Persons Protection from Abuse Policy sets out the standards that every employee, partner, contractor and visitor to Children’s Villages must meet to ensure the safety and well-being of the children and young people with whom we come into contact. It also sets out the procedures for responding to incidents of abuse.
SOS Children's Villages has a zero tolerance policy towards abuse because:
Children are very vulnerable. Any child can be at risk of neglect and abuse;
Cases of abuse can often go unreported because the child may not have the resources or strength to tell anyone what is happening to him or her;
Many girls and boys are most often subjected to violence and bullying because of their illness or disability; because they look different or speak different languages, etc.;
Often children are bullied or mistreated by those they previously trusted or lived with;
The hurt and trauma caused by abuse or cruelty are not always visible, but they can cause problematic behavior in a child later in life, and everything must be done to ensure that the child can again live a happy and fulfilling life, confident in his or her safety and security.
What does SOS do to protect children from abuse and neglect?
SOS Children’s Villages Kazakhstan commits to:
Respond promptly to any concerns or potential incident of abuse, particularly within the organization.
Provide a safe environment for every child at the slightest risk of possible violence
To examine every case and every piece of information concerning violation of children's rights and to take measures to prevent violence and neglect of the child's needs.
- Train each employee of the organization in methods of interaction with children that exclude violence and violation of children's rights.
- Ensure high standards of personnel selection, protection of personal data and children's privacy
- Inform the community about the need to implement a system for protecting children's rights at every level.
What should you do if someone becomes aware of a case of mistreatment of children from SOS Children's Villages?
Children or third parties can report a possible case of abuse to any SOS Children’s Villages staff member. Each Children’s Villages staff member is trained to respond to such requests: upon receiving information, they will respond according to the algorithm and pass the information on to the Child Protection Team.
The Child Protection Team is a working group that exists in each Children’s Village. Any child or adult can contact them to discuss something that worries them or to report a case of abuse. These people ensure that all information is considered and that everything possible is done to ensure that the child whose rights have been violated is protected and protected from any further harm.
In addition, each Children’s Village has a Trust Box. Anyone who has learned anything about a child’s rights being violated in any of the Villages can write a note about it and drop it in the Trust Box.
You can also write to child.no@sos-kazakhstan.kz or call +7 701 67 55 860, +7 727 313 25 71 about possible cases of abuse.
