Caring for Child Survivors of Sexual Abuse

1 Caring for Child Survivors of Sexual AbuseGuidelines for health and psychosocial service providers in humanitarian settingsFirst EditionCore Child Sexual Abuse Knowledge CompetenCie S internAtionAl reSCue CommitteeCover Photo: UNICEF/Jill Connelly/Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2010 2012 by International Rescue CommitteeAll rights reserved. International Rescue CommitteeAgency Headquarters122 East 42nd StreetNew York, NY +1 212 551 3000 more information about the Caring for Child Survivor s Resources please contact the IRC Women s Protection and Empowerment Technical Unit at To down-load the CCS guidelines electronically, please go to publication was funded in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Department of State s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM).

2 The findings and conclusions contained within are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect positions or policies of our For Child SurViV orS oF Sexual Abuse guidelineSCCS guidelines | Page 1 Caring For Child SurViV orS oF Sexual Abuse guidelineSACK nowledgementSThe Caring for Child Survivors (CCS) of Sexual Abuse guidelines were developed to respond to the gap in global guidance for health and psychosocial staff providing care and treatment to Child Survivors of Sexual Abuse in humanitarian setting.

3 The CCS guidelines are based on global research and evidenced-based field practice, and bring a much-needed fresh and practical approach to help-ing Child Survivors , and their families, recover and heal from the oftentimes devastating impacts of Sexual behalf of the IRC, I would like to extend a special word of appreciation to the Department of State s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the United Nations Children s Fund (UNICEF) for making the development of these guidelines possible.

4 This generous support has allowed the IRC to develop a Child -centered model of care and accompa-nying guidelines to support humanitarian field staff Caring for Child Survivors of Sexual Abuse . I would like to also recognize UNICEF for their role as technical partners in the CCS Initiative. I would like to extend a special thank you to Abigail Erikson, the principal author of these guidelines . Abigail s extraordinary commitment, expertise and energy have been central to this effort and we are deeply grateful to all of her hard work.

5 I would also like to thank members of the CCS Technical review panel. This panel of gender-based violence (GBV) and Child protection experts were instru-mental in ensuring the guidelines are rooted in best practice and global standards. Deep appreciation and thanks go to the following IRC experts: Laura Boone, Senior Technical Advisor, Child Protection; Eduardo Garcia Rolland, Technical Advisor, Child Protection; Dhammika Perera, Senior Technical Advisor, Reproductive Health; Karin Wachter, Senior Technical Advisor, Women s Protection and Empowerment; Janel Smith, Clinical Care for Sexual Assault Survivors Specialist, and Eve Puffer, Technical Advisor, Research, Evaluation and Learning.

6 In addition, Mendy Marsh, GBV Emergency Specialist, UNICEF and Chen Reis, Clinical Associate Professor and Director of the Humanitarian Assistance Program at the University of Denver, provided key technical input and technical advice. A very special thank you goes to the IRC Women s Protection and Empowerment Team in Thailand and the Community Wellbeing Initiative and Child Protection Teams in Ethiopia. The time and effort made available by the IRC Field teams to pilot test the CCS tools and resources has been invaluable to the successful development of the CCS hope these guidelines will benefit Child Survivors in humanitarian settings throughout the world, as well as the individuals who help to provide for their care and treatment.

7 Thank you, Heidi LehmannDIRECTOR, WOMEN S PROTECTION AND EMPOWERMENT TECHNICAL UNITINTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEECore Child Sexual Abuse Knowledge CompetenCie S Page 2 | International Rescue CommitteeinternAtionAl reSCue CommitteetAble oF ContentSintroduCtion 4 Overview of the Caring for Child Survivors (CCS) ResourcesCCS Theory of ChangeUsing the CCS GuidelinesGlossary of TermsChaptER OnE: CORE Child Sexual Abuse KnOwlEdgE COmpEtEnCiES 21 Core Child Sexual Abuse Knowledge Competency AreasGuidelines for Assessing and Monitoring Core Knowledge CompetenciesChaptER twO: CORE Child -FRiEndly attitudE COmpEtEnCiES 51 Core Child -Friendly Attitude Competency Areas guidelines for Assessing and Monitoring Core Attitude CompetenciesChaptER thREE: CORE SKillS.

8 Engaging and COmmuniCating with Child Survivors 59 Developing a Helping Relationship through Safe and Healing Communication StrategiesBest Practices for Communicating with Child SurvivorsGuidelines for Communicating with Children about their Experience of Sexual AbuseAddressing Common Communication ChallengesGuidelines for Assessing and Monitoring Core Communication Skill CompetenciesChaptER FOuR: guiding pRinCiplES and KEy iSSuES 87 Guiding Principles for Working with Child Survivors of Sexual AbuseCaring for Child Survivors Key IssuesIssue 1: Mandatory Reporting RequirementsIssue 2: Confidentiality Protocols in Child CasesIssue 3: Ensuring the Best Interest of the Child : Balancing Roles in Decision-MakingChaptER FivE: CaSE managEmEnt FOR Child Survivors 105 Introduction to Case Management Steps of Case Management for Child Survivors of Sexual AbuseStep 1: Introduction and EngagementStep 2.

9 Intake and AssessmentStep 3: Develop Case Goals and Action PlanStep 4: Implement the Case Action PlanStep 5: Case Follow-up and Monitoring ProgressStep 6: Case Closure and Evaluating ServiceStep 7: Service EvaluationCAring For Child SurViV orS oF Sexual Abuse guidelineSCCS guidelines | Page 3 Caring For Child SurViV orS oF Sexual Abuse guidelineSChaptER Six: pSyChOSOCial intERvEntiOnS FOR Child Survivors 187 Integrating Psychosocial Interventions into a Child and Family s Care and TreatmentAssessing the Psychosocial Needs of Child SurvivorsGuidelines for Implementing Core Psychosocial Interventions ChaptER SEvEn: bESt pRaCtiCES FOR CaSE COOR dinatiOn bEtwEEn SERviCE pROvidERS 231 Best Practice in Coordinating Child Case ResponseFinal nOtE tO thE REadER 239 CCS toolSPlease note.

10 Related staff monitoring tools and/or sample case management forms are included at the end of each chapter. A list of the CCS tools and relevant page numbers are included KnOwlEdgE aSSESSmEnt tOOl (CCS-Ka) 45 CCS attitudE SCalE 57 CCS COmmuniCatiOn aSSESSmEnt tOOl (CCS-Ca) 83 Child nEEdS aSSESSmEnt and CaSE aCtiOn plan 170 Child CaSE FOllOw-up FORm 172 Child CaSE ClOSuRE FORm 174 Child CliEnt SatiSFaCtiOn QuEStiOnnaiRE 175 CCS CaSE managEmEnt SKillS aSSESSmEnt tOOl (CCS-Cma) 180 CCS CaSE managEmEnt ChECKli St 183 Child and Family pSyChOSOCial nEEdS aSSESSmEnt tOOl 225 Tools and other reference documents not specific to a particular chapter are included at the end of the StandaRdS FOR CaSE managEmEnt 240gbvimS intaKE and aSSESSmEnt FORm 241 Core Child Sexual Abuse Knowledge CompetenCie S Page 4 | International Rescue CommitteeinternAtionAl reSCue CommitteeintroduCtionOvERviEw OF thE Caring FOR Child Survivors (CCS) RESOuRCESThe International Rescue Committee (IRC)