Online Training on 4Rs for Women and Children Protection
Online Training on 4Rs for Women and Children Protection
Online Training on 4Rs (Recognizing, Recording, Reporting and Referring) for Women and Children Protection
RATIONALE
The Child Protection Network Foundation (CPN), Incorporated is a non-government organization founded in 2002. It is especially dedicated to compassionately and competently serve all abused children not only in the Philippines but also in the whole of Asia, so they get the chance to be developed to the best of their potentials within a nurturing family environment (https://www.childprotectionnetwork.org/about-us/ accessed on 9 April 2021). In 2013, by virtue of Administrative Order 2013-0011 signed by the Secretary of the Department of Health, CPN has been designated as a primary partner responsible for the establishment and maintenance of quality of services of all Women and Children Protection Units (WCPUs). Although especially created to protect children from abuse, CPN works in the broader context of domestic violence including the protection of women.
As of February 2021, the Philippine population is estimated at 100,981,437. From this total, 49,909,341 are female representing 49.42 percent. In terms of age groups, 10,818,931 or 10.71 percent belong to 0-4 years old; 32,155,793 or 31.84 percent are 0-14 years old, and 62,615,419 or 62.08 percent are from 18 years old and older. The figures show that more than 38 percent of the Philippine total population are children (Philippine Statistics Authority [PSA] at https://psa.gov.ph/statistics/quickstat/national-quickstat/all/* accessed on 9 April 2021). The Philippine Commission on Women cited PSA that one in four Filipino women age 15-49 years old has experienced physical, emotional, or sexual violence by their husband or partner (https://pcw.gov.ph/violence-against-women/). In its latest national survey of Filipino children, the United Nations Children Educational Fund (UNICEF) reported the high overall prevalence of violence against Filipino children with three out of five children being physically and psychologically abused, bullied, and almost one in five children being sexually violated (UNICEF, 2016). With the passing of Republic Act (RA) 7610: the “Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act” of 1992 and RA 9262: “Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004,” the campaign against women and children abuse became the centerpiece programs of the CPN
When COVID-19 struck in March 2020, alarming reports revealed that “one of the most insidious consequences of the pandemic is the rise of gender-based violence (Gonzales, 2020). The Alliance of Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (2019) reported that the pandemic can disrupt the social and physical environments of children that may adversely affect their normal growth and development. With the closure of schools and other social institutions due to restrictions in physical distancing, children can feel isolated, experience neglect as their parents need to continue working even from home, and they become more vulnerable to abuse and other forms of domestic violence. The Alliance’s Technical Note: Protection of Children during the Coronavirus Pandemic, Version 1 (2019) called on whole-of-society, whole-of-government, and people-centered approach to capacitate social institutions in looking after the best interest of the children at the time of the pandemic (Technical Note: Protection of Children during the Coronavirus Pandemic (v.1) accessed on 24 June 2021).
Central to all the operations of CPN for women and children protection is the capacitating of all members of society to recognize, record, report, and refer (4Rs) abused children and women. CPN has been conducting the 4Rs training for parents, school teachers, police officers, counsellors, physicians, social workers, lawyers, and other interested parties since 2008. This program evolved as the first step in the current ladderized program in women and children protection work. The other programs in the next ladders are the training in Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) approach, and the Certificate in Women and Children Protection Specialty (CWCPS). All these programs used to be a offered in a face-to-face (F2F) platform and participants coming from all groups were trained as a team. As COVID-19 continues to linger around the globe, CPN responds by migrating its ladderized program to an online platform.
TARGET PARTICIPANTS
The 4Rs refer to recognizing, reporting, recording, and referring of women and children abuse. The Online 4Rs training is open to any person, parent, member representing any agency or institution interested in or involved in dealing with children and women who are suspected victims of abuse or any form of domestic violence or gender-based violence. Their motivation to complete the training can be personal or professional, and there are no legal or administrative requirements. Entry competency is kept to the minimum to just be a functional level of proficiency in using basic online applications such as accessing an online learning management system, uploading and downloading of documents, and accessing online educational resources (OERs). Having access to strong internet connectivity is a technological requisite for this training.
PROGRAM STRUCTURE
The ladder-type training programs of CPN are presented in the figure below. The 4Rs is a pre-requisite of the MDT which then serves as the gate pass to the WCPS. Participants can be enrolled as a participant upon formal application to CPN or receipt of their organization’s recommendation. They can complete the 4Rs at their convenient time.
The 4Rs Training is composed of two self-instructional modules that participants can complete at their own convenient time but preferably within one month upon enrollment. All sessions are asynchronous. The two modules feature video-recorded lectures of resource persons, supplemented by related references, and assessment tasks that participants must accomplish within set standards. Assessments will be automatically graded. Only if they meet the minimum passing levels of their outputs will participants be given access to proceed to the next tasks. There are built-in online feedback and client satisfaction forms that should be accomplished at the end of each module.
PROGRAM OUTCOMES OF THE 4RS TRAINING
Laypersons, parents, teachers, counsellors, health professionals, social workers, law practitioners, police officers, citizens interested and dealing with children and women abuse who complete this training should be able to:
- Competently recognize potential victims of women and children abuse
- Competently record, report, and refer to appropriate people and / or agencies potential victims of women and children abuse
- Interview a child or woman who has disclosed abuse or is suspected of being abused
- Demonstrate strong commitment to the cause of protecting women and children from abuse
4RS MODULE 1: RECOGNIZING WOMEN AND CHILDREN ABUSE
This module includes the overall introduction of the 4Rs training where the resource persons present culture of violence and further aggravated by the tacit gender insensitivity of Filipino institutions like the family, workplace, media, schools, and government. Succeeding sessions on recognizing physical and sexual abuse, psychological/emotional abuse, and neglect are covered in Module 1. Participants are expected to complete the following module videos and all their related activities and assessments:
- 4Rs Module 1 Video 1 (M1V1): Culture of Violence and Gender Insensitivity
- 4Rs M1V2: Recognizing Abuse in Women
- 4Rs M1V3: Recognizing Child Physical Abuse
- 4Rs M1V4: Child Sexual Abuse
- 4Rs M1V5: Emotional and psychological Effect of Abuse
- 4Rs M1V6: Neglect
4RS MODULE 2: RECORDING, REPORTING, AND REFERRAL OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN ABUSE
This module includes sessions on recording and reporting, as well as the referral process of victims of women and children abuse. Basic protocols on what data to gather, their potential legal value, as well as providing safety to abused women and children will be covered in this module. Participants are expected to complete the following module videos and all their related activities and assessments:
- 4Rs M2V1: Recording and Reporting Abuse of Children
- 4Rs M2V2: Recording and Reporting Abuse of Women
- 4Rs M2V3: Referral Services for Victims and Survivors of Child Abuse
- 4Rs M2V4: Referral Services for Victims and Survivors of Women Abuse
Navigating the Women and Children Protection Online Learning (WCPOL)
The Online Training on the 4Rs, MDT, and CWCPS is a project of the CPN together with its partner agencies namely the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), University of the Philippines Manila through the National Teacher Training Center for the Health Professions (NTTCHP) and the Information Management Service (IMS), and the International Container Terminal Services, Foundation, Inc (ICTSI). Resource persons include faculty members and practitioners in Pediatrics, Social Work, Law, Psychiatry, Psychology, and other related fields directly handling children and women who are victims of all forms of domestic violence. Working together with CPN in this training are various government, non-government, and civic organizations that make them ready resource and contacts for referrals and appropriate actions that participants may need to consult in the course of the training.