Brussels, 27/10/2011 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 27 October, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) launched a database that can be freely consulted and which brings together best practice for protecting children against sexual abuse. This best practice should be encouraged, given the scale of sexual fondling that affects one in five children in Europe, according to the Council of Europe's “One in Five” Campaign to stop sexual violence against children. These two initiatives complement the initiative, “The Underwear Rule”, also backed by the EESC.
Presented by one of the movers behind the project, Madi Sharma, a member of the employers' group at the EESC, the database was developed through action taken by NGOs and public services in member states, which worked together to provide more than 40 examples of good practice. The emblematic example of good practice involves the promotion of the children's book, “Kiko and the Hand”, which is aimed at European children. This book aims to teach children, in simple terms, what constitutes inappropriate touching. The importance of this kind of learning is crucial given that between 70% and 85% of inappropriate touching is done so by a person in the child's close entourage, according to the Council of Europe.
The EESC is calling on the European Commission to put in place a genuine European strategy to prevent child sex abuse. This should be based on four intrinsically linked elements, in an effort to ensure that prevention measures are effective.
Education is the best form of prevention. Education is for both children and parents or people who, for professional reasons, have regular contact with children and young people. Training is also expected to be proposed for teaching how to use the internet safely and appropriately.
Enhancing the law and other support structures. This mainly aims to develop a structure that will facilitate an optimum response in the event of a child disappearing.
The role of civil society is the third element in the EESC strategy, whose objective is to raise awareness, for example, through children's books.
The final element involves research and standards. Funding research is still insufficient, particularly with regard to the perspective (views and opinions) of children who have suffered abuse. Setting standards is simply about procedures for screening of the internet. The approach chosen by the EESC seeks to respond to the fact that the victim of child abuse has not only had his/her physical being violated and also that the act of abuse causes emotional and psychological harm, with potentially serious long-term consequences. (JK/transl.fl)