KEEPING CHILDREN SAFE AS YOU WORK

Esther Hadiza Ijeaku

Principal Consultant, Skill Hub Consulting

As we counted down to today, I reflected on whether we should just put out the usual Happy Children’s Day post like many would... and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. However, I would like to dig a little deeper to explore our roles in nurturing the happy child we all wish for and love to celebrate by talking a little about safeguarding in the course of our work.  Why? Because children are no safer in the company of a development worker than they are in the company of a stranger. In fact, because NGOs are ‘do-gooders’, parents and care givers tend to lower their guard because “these people are here to help us.”

Also, just because your motives are pure does not mean that your colleagues or volunteers are the same. Let me explain before you give me the bombastic side-eye! There is ample evidence to show that child abusers tend to gravitate towards opportunities that grant them legal access to children. What better way to access vulnerable people than by offering to help them? What I am trying to say is this: Put measures in place to protect vulnerable people and prevent any exploitation or abuse of the children your organisation may be engaging with.  There is the well-known principle of Do no harm which basically means that you are doing whatever it takes to make sure that the people (and children) you engage, support or help are not left in a worse position than they were before you came along due to your action or inaction.

Before I give you a few examples of how children may be exposed to abuse in the course of interventions, you may also want to consider issues around perception because everyone has different life experiences which shapes their opinion. This might mean that an innocent act may be misconstrued to mean something else. If it’s harmless for you to hug children who are not yours, it may not be acceptable to others. It might be wise to empathise with your observers to conduct yourself in an acceptable manner to avoid stories that touch (as we say in Nigeria). Avoid having to explain the conduct of your representatives by having standard operating procedures. If you don’t have a safeguarding policy or it’s just on paper, please take it seriously.

Skill Hub Consulting is happy to share a quick checklist for your team to document compliance with safeguarding practices during your activities. You may download it here or even organise a safeguarding training for your team. I have served as a Safeguarding lead in and INGO for many years and trained almost 300 individuals on safeguarding. I am happy to offer the service. Please drop a comment.

Now to wrap up, here are a few examples of risky situations we may experience:

1. Unscreened volunteers interacting with children:
 An NGO hosts a free weekend reading club for children. Volunteers are allowed to sign up and interact with the children without background checks or supervision. One of the volunteers is later found to have a history of sexual misconduct in a previous organisation.

2. Posting Identifiable Photos of Children Online:
A nonprofit shares photos of children from a feeding program on Facebook, tagging the location and using their real names. This unintentionally exposes the children to online predators or individuals who may want to exploit or harm them.

3. Untrained staff handling disclosures:
A child tells a field staff member that a relative is touching them inappropriately. One staff member, unsure of what to do, tells the child to forget it and doesn’t report it leaving the child vulnerable and unsupported. Another staff goes ahead to confront the accused without ensuring adequate support and protection for the child's safety after the changemaker’s departure.

4. No safe spaces or procedures during activities:
 At a camp run by an NGO, children sleep in mixed-age, mixed-gender groups or dorms with no adult supervision nearby and there’s no reporting or safeguarding procedure in place. Older children may expose, bully or harass the younger ones.

5. Staff using personal phones to communicate with children:
 Programme staff give their personal phone numbers to children for “mentoring support.” Without boundaries or organisational oversight, inappropriate conversations begin, and there is no record of communication or way to monitor staff conduct.

6. Ignoring power imbalances in aid distribution:
 An NGO’s field staff are responsible for distributing educational materials to children in need. Because there are no clear codes of conduct or accountability structures, some staff ask for favours or access to the children's families in exchange for supplies.

Safeguarding structures are not just about protection from extreme abuse, they help organisations prevent small oversights that can lead to serious harm.

At this point, I guess I can say Happy Children’s Day to all the children in all our communities!