More information
Description
The aim of the project is to change social awareness in the area of separation-related conflicts and, in particular, to draw attention to children’s protection from emotional violence committed by their relatives. The project includes three areas of activity. Within the first area, we will implement our own model of working with parents who are separating in a conflict and pose a threat of violence against a child. We will conduct educational workshops for parents, provide them with support from therapists and mediators, which will help children be better protected. In the second area, in cooperation with the Czech mediation center from Brno, we will use a new tool – mediation process with children’s participation. Research shows that this type of mediation increases the sustainability of the applied solutions and the satisfaction of both parents and children involved. In the third area of activity, we will host webinars and conferences dedicated to the exchange of experience between representatives of institutions working with families at different stages of a divorce-related crisis.
Summary of project results
The aim of the project was to start the process of changing social awareness regarding dealing with breakup conflicts, and in particular to protect the child''s well-being, its emotional stability, the ability to create close relationships and proper social functioning in the future.
One version of the project is a continuation of the method developed by the Pelikan Association of working with parents in conflicts surrounding separation, which increases the risk of violence or generates emotional violence towards a child who is dependent on the parents. This part was implemented through educational workshops for parents and children, accompanying parents in change, and individual support from therapists and mediators.
The second pillar of the project was to conduct a pilot project (in cooperation with the Czech mediation center from Brno) of a mediation model that directly included the child''s voice, which, as indicated by available research and confirmed by our experience from 27 mediation processes involving 33 children, increases parents'' awareness and gives children a chance to to speak out on issues that are important to them and significantly influence further care decisions made by parents, the durability of solutions and the level of satisfaction of participants.
The third area of activities included initiating discussions and exchange of experiences among representatives of institutions working with families at various stages of the divorce crisis, which will help in building inter-institutional partnerships in the future.
The activities planned in the project were definitely needed/necessary to actually reduce the risk of emotional violence that a child experiences from relatives in a situation of family breakdown and conflict between parents.
- two open training courses (8 hours) for mediators and child specialists conducted by the Czech mediation center
- 6 editions of the "Child in divorce" workshops
- 3 editions of the "Divorced Childhood" workshops
- 1 educational and information campaign on the Internet in the form of posts on the FB profile of Children in Divorce
- 1 training (4x4h) for a group of probation officers, social workers, psychologists and a judge from institutions dealing with families in crisis around separation in the Pomeranian Voivodeship
- 1 new tool implemented for working with families in conflict and protecting children against violence: "mediation involving the child''s voice" together with competent staff trained to work in the model and a set of documents for inclusive mediation developed in Polish.
Additionally, products that were not included in the project application:
1. design and printing of an information leaflet on including a child in mediation
2. publication "Standards and good practices in family mediation"
3. recording of educational material "Child-child specialist session"
4. press interview: https://www.zawszepomorze.pl/powiedz-dziecko-sta-sie-narzedziem-w-wojnie-rodzicow
5. article about the Association supporting the renovation collection
https://www.zawszepomorze.pl/spółenie-pelikan-prezentuje-pomocy-pomaga-dzieciom-przetwarzc-traume-rozwodu-rodzicow
6. workshop and conference space put into use in the center of Gdańsk Wrzeszcz
Mediations involving the child''s voice have become a permanent element of our offer. Because this is an expensive process that involves three specialists each time, it is necessary to create financial incentives for parents. To ensure the durability of the results, we obtained funding to conduct mediation involving the child''s voice for two consecutive years from the PROO1a program.
We have gained the status of an "expert voice" in the topic of including children in mediation and child protection through "inclusion". Representatives of Pelikan took part as panelists in an international conference organized by prof. Joanna Mucha from the Faculty of Law and Administration at the University of Poznań.
The result for participants is an increase in their knowledge on topics related to the psychological aspects of experiencing family breakdown, highlighting the differences between adults and children. Increasing parents'' awareness of the special needs of their children in post-breakup crises and their own limitations in the perception and implementation of conflict resolution strategies, and, what seems crucial in connection with the second part of the project, i.e. piloting mediations involving the child''s voice, increases parents'' readiness for mediation and for taking into account the voice of children: 18 out of 27 mediations were between people, at least one of whom took part in the "Child in Divorce" workshops.
The result of support workshops for children is relieving them of the sense of responsibility for the situation in the family, the ability to name feelings and emotions related to the family crisis and acceptance of their own emotions, increasing their self-esteem and feeling of alienation by working in a group of children who are experiencing similar difficulties. There was also an increase in the recognition of the Pelikan brand, as well as a spreading opinion that Pelikan stands for quality services and support.