Die Austrian Centre for Citizenship Education in Schools (polis) is partner organization of this EC funded project. Together with Children and Youth, this participatory project addressed the following research questions:
- How is violence understood and defined by children and youth?
- How to create child- and youth centred support in case of violence? What are the needs of children and youth, when seeking support?
- How staff in institution shall react and act, when they are confronted with children, who are at risk or already exposed to violence in the best way?
- How to make support facilities accessible, attractive and safe in order to support children and youth to disclose and report on violence?
Over the course of two years, nine partner organisations from six European countries as well as two advisory groups composed by children and youth used participatory empirical research methods to gain answers to these questions.
In total, 1.274 children and youth from all partner countries were questioned about different forms of violence and support. In addition, 91 children and youth from marginalized groups (e.g. refugee or migrant background, LGBTIQ, Roma and Traveller communities, children and youth in conflict with the law) participated at workshops. These insights and experiences were used to develop online training materials for professionals working with children and youth. In addition, together with the participants of the advisory groups, materials for children and youth including a leaflet and video were designed to sensitize them on violence and provide them with contacts to support facilities.
All the materials as well as further information and links are accessible online in the respective languages of all partner organizations.
In German > Zentrum polis
https://www.politik-lernen.at/p4p.
In English > Queen's University in Belfast
https://www.qub.ac.uk/sites/participation-for-protection
Sabine Mandl, Helmut Sax, Elisabeth Turek
Sabine Mandl, sabine.mandl@univie.ac.at