JEWLIF Child Protection Policy

Proposed Child Protection Policy of JEWLIF

JEWLIF is committed to providing and maintaining a caring learning environment which promotes our core values to protect the rights of children, as well as preventing and addressing child abuse and exploitation.

Our organization strongly condemns all forms of child abuse and exploitation and always responds to any case of proven, alleged or attempted abuse within our ﬁeld of function and inﬂuence, according to its nature.

We ensure that mechanisms are in place within our organization to raise awareness, aid prevention, encourage reporting and eﬀective response. They range from human resource development actions such as training and counselling to legal actions where needed.

Foundation of JEWLIF’s Child Protection Policy

The Child Protection Policy of JEWLIF is based on:

Our organization’s shared vision, mission and values of preserving and promoting Jewish life in Europe;
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC);
Experience and input of stakeholders from various previous partnerships;
The standards on child protection as deﬁned by international best practices;
The principles set forth by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union as well as the EU strategy on the rights of the child.

JEWLIF will work in accordance with the UNCRC: the best interest of children are our primary considerations. We believe that every child has the right to develop to his or her full potential, as well as a right to quality education, cultural participation and non-discrimination. Everybody has the responsibility to protect children from all forms of abuse, abandonment, exploitation, violence, as well as discrimination.

Key Components of JEWLIF’s Child Protection Policy

The key parts of the JEWLIF Child Protection Policy include:

Awareness: Raise awareness of child abuse and its risks;
Prevention: Provide guidance on how to safeguard children from abuse;
Reporting: Set up and adhere to a clear and simple reporting procedure;
Responding: Ensure clear action is taken when child abuse is suspected or

Introduction

This policy document is binding for all staﬀ members, volunteers, board members, and project partners of JEWLIF. Based on this policy paper, our organization shall deﬁne clear reporting and responding structures, as well as consistent crisis management plans, to ensure full child protection in our ﬁeld of work and regional scope of activity.

Following the deﬁnition of the UNCRC, a child is “every human being below the age of 18 years unless national law recognizes the age of majority earlier”. Every child is potentially at risk of abuse and exploitation. Some children may be more vulnerable to abuse and exploitation, due to various forms of discrimination and marginalization relating to their gender, socio-economic status, state of ability, ethnicity, or living situation.

Therefore it is crucial that every person connected with JEWLIF understands what constitutes child abuse, as well as his or her own role and responsibilities in protecting children.

JEWLIF recognizes that child abuse and exploitation takes place in all countries and societies around the world, and, while respecting all cultures and religions, has attempted to create a uniﬁed framework in order to prevent and respond to child abuse.

Our organization is committed to awareness-raising, prevention and advocacy work within families, schools, communities and national authorities to promote the protection of children’s rights, particularly in relation to Jewish cultural education and community activities. We further recognize the importance of children’s participation, empowering both girls and boys to speak up against all forms of abuse, acting as agents of self-protection and the protection of their peers.

Goals of JEWLIF’s Child Protection Policy

This policy aims at:

Preventing cases of child abuse and reducing the number of incidents (child-to-child, adult-to-child) in educational programs and other activities within JEWLIF’s sphere of inﬂuence;
Making children aware of their rights and their active role in child protection;
Informing children, co-workers, board members, teachers, community members, families, volunteers and partners about the child protection policy and related procedures;
Encouraging JEWLIF members directly involved with children to apply the skills needed to contribute to each child’s development and protection;
Ensuring that all JEWLIF members have the working conditions needed to contribute to each child’s development and protection;
Fostering open and honest discussions on child abuse in partner meetings and workshops;
Putting in place fair, secure and transparent reporting channels that guarantee the right of stakeholders to be heard;
Forming an active network of protection so that all children as well as adults in our sphere of inﬂuence are safe and protected.

Deﬁnitions and Terminology of Child Abuse

Deﬁnitions of the four main categories of child abuse:

Physical abuse is the actual or potential physical harm caused by an action or lack of action, which is reasonably within the control of a person in a position of responsibility, power, or trust. The incidents may be single or repeated.
Sexual abuse is evidenced by an activity between a child and an adult or another child who, by age or development, is in a relationship of responsibility, trust or power; the activity being intended to gratify or satisfy the needs of the other person.
Neglect and negligent treatment is the inattention or omission on the part of the caregiver or adult in position of authority to provide for the development of the child in areas such as health, education, emotional development, nutrition, shelter and safe living conditions.
Emotional abuse is the persistent emotional ill treatment of a child that adversely aﬀects his or her self-perception and development. It may involve conveying to the child that he or she is worthless, unloved, and inadequate.

JEWLIF’s Child Protection Code of Conduct

All members of JEWLIF are committed to protecting children from abuse and exploitation. Our organization will take all necessary actions to prevent and/or respond to children in such situations, irrespective of the nature of the referral, who the allegations are about or who the referrer is.

DOs:

Be aware what constitutes child abuse and understand policy provisions
Know signs of abuse and report suspicious observations immediately
Respect basic rights of others, treating people with dignity and respect
Treat all children equally without discrimination
Maintain high standards of personal and professional conduct
Protect health, safety and well-being of yourself and others
Be aware of high-risk peer situations and potential for peer abuse
Provide enabling environment for children’s development
Encourage and respect children’s voices and views
Obtain written consent when photographing or ﬁlming children
Ensure minimum of two staﬀ members present in meetings with children
Ensure accessibility for children with disabilities

DON’Ts:

Engage in any form of sexual activity with children
Behave in inappropriate or sexually provocative manner
Discriminate, shame, humiliate, belittle, or degrade children
Hit or physically assault participants
Be alone with a child in questionable circumstances
Use inappropriate contact details from children
Take unauthorized photos or request unnecessary personal information

Stakeholders and Implementation

Child protection is everyone’s business within JEWLIF. Our organization will nominate a Child Protection Oﬃcer responsible for ensuring policy adherence and updates.

Ensuring Child Protection Internally

All JEWLIF members must acknowledge and consent to this Child Protection Policy
Regular brieﬁngs and training on child protection will be conducted
Periodic policy reviews and updates will be implemented
Background checks and screening procedures will be mandatory for all staﬀ working with children,

Ensuring Child Protection Externally

External partners working with JEWLIF in activities involving children must read, acknowledge and agree to our Child Protection Policy through binding signature. Complaints and Accountability

All complaints regarding these guidelines should be addressed to JEWLIF’s designated Child Protection Oﬃcer and will be responded to immediately with highest priority.

Contact Information:

Child Protection Oﬃcer: Andrei Kovacs
Email: Andrei.kovacs(at)jewlif(dot)org
Phone: +49 221 292961-77

This policy document represents JEWLIF’s unwavering commitment to child protection and safety in all our educational, cultural, and community activities related to Jewish life in Europe.