CHILD PROTECTION POLICY
LWIS-CiS is a child-centered school. Our mission is to
create a safe and nurturing environment that caters for the physical, social
and emotional growth and wellbeing of our learners.
Our practices and procedures on child protection are
fully governed by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Child Protection Policy launched
by the Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher Education together with UNICEF
in 2018 and are in line with the Lebanese Law # 422/2002, "Protection of Juveniles
in Conflict with the Law or at Risk”. These
laws, practices and procedures protect children from abuse, neglect and sexual
exploitation. In this policy, the term "children” refers to all learners
registered at LWIS-CiS.
FORMS OF HARM/ABUSE
All our children have the right to be protected against
all forms of harm/abuse, including:
Physical harm/abuse is any
type of physical violence against children. It can take many forms, including,
but not limited to:
- Hitting
- Kicking
- Slapping
- Burning
- Cutting
- Choking
- Shaking
These acts could leave the following possible
symptoms/indicators:
- Bruises, burns, sprains, dislocations, bites and cuts
- Bodily injuries in places not normally exposed to falls, rough games,
etc…
- Implausible explanation of injuries
- Refusal to discuss injuries
- Repeated stomach pains
- Discomfort with physical contact or touching
- Covered arms and legs in hot weather
- Fear of returning home or of parents/guardians being contacted
- Wariness or distrust towards adults
- Self-destructive tendencies
- Aggression towards others
- Passivity and compliance in a worrying manner
- Chronic running away
- Fear of making mistakes for fear of contacting parents
Sexual harm/abuse is
forcing children or persuading them to take part in sexual activities knowingly
or unknowingly. The act could include physical or non-physical contact. This
could take many forms, including, but not limited to:
- Exposing children to sexual acts
- Watching children undress
- Discussing explicit sex in front of children
- Involving children in pornography or sharing pornography with them
- Touching children inappropriately
- Forcing or persuading children to touch someone else’s genitals or play
sexual games
These acts could leave the following possible symptoms/indicators:
- Pain or irritation in the genital area
- Difficulty with urination
- Infection or bleeding
- Fear of people or places
- Aggression
- Regressive behaviors, bed wetting or stranger anxiety
- Excessive masturbation
- Sexually provocation
- Stomach pains or difficulty walking or sitting
- Unusual quietness and withdrawal or unusual aggression
- Frequent absence from school
- Regression in toilet training
- Immense fear of a particular adult
- Reclusion
- Age inappropriate sexualized behavior or language
- Mentioning receiving special attention from an adult or establishing a
new "secret” friendship with an adult or a young person
- EMOTIONAL/PSYCHOLOGICAL HARM/ABUSE
Emotional/Psychological harm/abuse
is the ongoing emotional maltreatment or neglect of children. It might take
many forms, including, but not limited to:
- Humiliation
- Shaming
- Belittling
- Undermining
- Threatening to abandon or to use violence
These acts could leave the following possible symptoms/indicators:
- Delay in physical, mental and emotional development
- Loss of previously acquired skills
- Extreme passivity or aggression
- Compulsive stealing
- Drug or substance abuse
- Unexplained or repeated headaches or stomach pains
- Sleeping or eating disorders
- Desperate seeking of attention
- Self harm
Neglect is the failure to provide a child with basic
needs, such as food, shelter, hygiene, health care, supervision, safety and
structure.
The above could leave the following possible symptoms/indicators:
- Slow rate of growth
- Hunger or stealing food
- Untreated injuries
- Sadness
- Tiredness
- Unfinished assignments
- Unsuitable clothing
- Poor hygiene
COMMITMENT BY ALL MEMBERS OF STAFF
- All members of staff should be aware of the Child
Protection Policy and act as first contact agents to protect and safeguard
our children.
- The school nurse examines many children suffering
from or facing physical or health issues and gets the opportunity to
examine them privately. Therefore, the nurse is in a position to identify
symptoms of abuse and should report such observations, if found, to the
school head counselor. The nurse is expected to preserve the privacy of
the child and keep all information confidential.
- The sections’ counselors are in a position to
identify abuse victims through their meetings with the children who either
have regular scheduled meetings or have been referred by the heads of
sections. The counselors are expected to immediately report any suspicion
of abuse to the head counselor.
CHILD PROTECTION COMMITTEE (CPC)
The Child Protection Committee has the following
duties:
- Ensure the proper implementation of the Child
Protection Policy
- Keep all members of staff aware of the policy and
provide training where necessary
- Ensure the yearly review of the policy
The permanent members of the committee are the
principal, vice principal and head counselor. They may invite any member of
staff or external professional advisor to join on a temporary or permanent
basis.
REPORTING (FIRST CONTACT AND OBSERVATION)
A child may approach a trusted member of staff to
disclose an incident of abuse. The first contact member of staff must follow
the guidelines listed below:
- Find a quiet, private place to talk to the child
- Listen calmly and carefully to the child
- Look directly at the child
- Be empathetic and supportive
- Take the disclosure seriously
- Reassure the child of having done the right thing by speaking up
- Limit questions to seeking facts
- Be transparent about the obligation to report the information to the
head counselor in confidentiality
- Take notes as soon as possible following the disclosure
- Check if the child is willing to see the head counselor immediately
- Report the incident immediately to the head counselor
The
first contact member of staff should not:
- Panic
- Express shock or disbelief
- Ask leading, investigative, suggestive or unnecessary questions
- Ask who, why and how questions
- Pressure the child to disclose information
- Blame the child, for example saying: "You should have reported earlier”
- Make assumptions
- Seek help while the child is disclosing information
- Give the child advice on how to deal with the situation
- Attempt to deal with the situation alone
- Promise to keep information to himself/herself
In case of a child reporting abuse to a member of
staff or a member of staff observing a possible abuse case, the reporting must
be immediate and follow the process below:
CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROTECTION
The school will strive to protect anyone reporting an
allegation of abuse or neglect against intimidation, harassment or retaliation
and maintain the reporter’s identity confidential, unless disclosure is required
by law.
All received information is treated with
confidentiality and only shared with members on a need-to-know basis. The purpose of
confidentiality is to protect children, preserve their rights and respect their
families’ rights.
PREVENTION
LWIS-CiS has a strict code of conduct for employees,
learners, parents/guardians and visitors that protects the right of children to
a safe and nurturing learning environment.