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Description
The project is addressed to victims of domestic violence, as well as people at risk of violence and perpetrators of violence. The problem of family violence is already quite well known, but the scale of its occurrence is so large that new measures are needed. In 2020 alone, 57,760 cases of physical violence, 81,344 of psychological violence, 1163 of sexual violence, 1813 of economic violence and 21,985 of other types of violence were recorded. The survey conducted by the Empowering Children Foundation shows that 27.2% of the respondents aged 13-17 experienced at least one of the examined forms of abuse (violence by close adults, witnessing violence at home, peer violence) between mid-March and the end of June 2020. In turn, the Ministry of Family and Social Policy’s report entitled ‘Evaluation of the effectiveness of counteracting violence by professionals’ reveals that the employees of institutions for counteracting violence assessed best the availability of social assistance (positively assessed by 76% of the respondents). Worse ratings were given to the availability of legal assistance for adults (61%), psychological assistance for children experiencing family violence (49%), assistance offered by Information and Consultation Points (48%), assistance for the elderly (44%) and people with disabilities (40%). Taking into account the police statistics on the number of people experiencing violence, there is a high demand for the development of assistance activities. Therefore, within this project educational activities, counselling, support in crisis and the implementation of social campaigns have been planned. For people experiencing violence, we have launched a hotline ‘TeleSupport’ and an online chat with specialists in law, psychology, pedagogy and vocational counselling. We will conduct webinars, consultations, develop iconographics and audiovisual materials with which we want to change social attitudes towards the phenomenon of violence.
Summary of project results
The aim of the project was to support people experiencing violence and to raise social awareness about domestic violence, its symptoms, how to react and support people experiencing violence and how to counteract the practice.
The project was intended to eliminate inappropriate reactions to the problem of domestic violence happening around us, to teach people that reacting is positive behavior and that they should not remain passive. People experiencing violence received a help package in the form of daily service on a free hotline and chat channels (plus an interactive form) from a lawyer, a career counselor, a psychologist and a pedagogue.
All project activities and products were described in detail in the submitted project implementation report.
As part of the project, posters, educational iconography, educational spots were created, webinars were organized with educational specialists, specialists provided legal, pedagogical, psychological and career counseling services, educational materials on the problem of violence in family.
The benefit of the project was the creation of remote response groups consisting of specialists to support people struggling with the problem of domestic violence and exclusion and testing them in a practical aspect. Remoteness guaranteed availability, and the support team ensured professional, broad-spectrum assistance. The next step is to work with convicted people, especially their families. Third, practical preparation of future psychologists, lawyers and educators to work with excluded people and those involved in violence. Changing their awareness of perceiving the problem.
The primary goal, however, was to provide information about aspects of the issue to people potentially at risk of the phenomenon or experiencing it.
Certainly, the project made it possible to correct the activities of remote Family Support Teams and prepare 115 students for their profession. And of course, the benefits of the project are undeniable. We will continue our activities. All. We are prepared for this, we have gained practical and logistical knowledge thanks to the project. We have appropriate tools (helpline, chat, virtual databases). Right now, i.e. after the project is completed, we are still achieving its goals. There is still a chat and hotline with specialist support on our website, and dozens of young people are still active in the organization. Support for assisted families remains. The absolute benefit is the participation of young people in project activities, and thanks to the project, their greater involvement and pro-social awareness. During the project implementation period, several dozen volunteers aged 24-29 joined the volunteer service. They are still active in the organization, which can be considered a positive value of the project. We believe that the formula of flexible, remote teams supporting those in need and operating at hand (chat, telephone), and not only during office hours or from behind a desk, will work. Supporters must necessarily be close to those supported and ensure their availability and anonymity, as well as be close to their problems.