Description
According to the National Strategy for Child Protection 2014-2020, measures to prevent and combat domestic violence are insufficiently developed in Romania today. The goal of the project is to prevent and combat domestic violence against children by training specialists in the field and by elaborating a training and intervention instrument for specialists working with domestic violence cases. Thus, the project envisages developing an instrument/kit for training and intervention as well as improving the knowledge of 300 specialists with responsibility on domestic violence targeting children. Training will focus on legislation, policies and standards, but also on preventing and taking action in cases of domestic violence on children. The target group of the project consists of specialists from child protection, education and health care from the relevant institutions, universities, NGOs, international organizations and also representatives of the media. The project will include a Norwegian partner - Redd Barna (Save the Children Norway), whose role in the project is to share experience and best practices to increase the level of information and awareness on domestic violence, as well as to strengthen bilateral cooperation between entities in Romania and Norway.
Summary of project results
The idea of this project started from the need to further prevent and combat the domestic violence involving children, in addition to the actions previously carried out in this field and according to the National Strategy for Child Protection 2014-2020. The current project has contributed, together with the others initiatives already undertaken in the child protection and domestic violence fields, to the implementation of the measures provided within the aforementioned strategy. The goal of the project was to prevent and combat domestic violence against children by training specialists in the field and by elaborating a training and intervention instrument for specialists working with domestic violence cases in Bucharest and in 8 counties (Iași, Suceava, Mureș, Brașov, Timișoara, Dolj, Dâmbovița, Constanța). To this purpose, the following components of the project were reached: Component 1: A kit for training and intervention in cases of domestic violence involving children developed through a consultative process with relevant factors, piloted and applied by trained professionals in their current activity; Component 2: Training of 539 specialists with responsibilities in preventing and combating violence against children performed. The training focused on improving their knowledge on the legal framework for preventing and combating domestic violence and their ability to intervene in cases of domestic violence involving children. The objectives of the project were fully achieved. The outcome “Domestic violence reduced” was achieved through specific project outputs, described below: - 153 questionnaires applied to 153 specialists (psychologists, social workers, doctors, teachers) and 5 focus group organized in order to assess specific training needs in working with domestic violence cases involving children - the training needs assessment drawn up - a kit for training and intervention in cases of domestic violence against children developed, piloted and applied - 539 specialists working in the fields of child protection, education and health care were trained on preventing and combating domestic violence against children, through 25 seminars organized.
Summary of bilateral results
The partner Save the Children Norway had an important contribution within the project by transferring knowledge, experience and good practices in raising awareness and providing information on domestic violence, increasing knowledge of legislation, policies and relevant national, European and international legislation standards on preventing and combating domestic violence and developing the professional capacity of specialists with specific tasks concerning domestic violence, child protection, education and health, to the applicant organization in Romania. The experience of the Save the Children Norway was used in the development in consultation with relevant institutions of a training and intervention kit/instrument in cases of domestic violence on children, and for its piloting by specialists trained in their current work. The partner had direct impact on the outputs and outcomes of the project, the partnership contributing to strengthening bilateral relations between NGOs from Romania and Norway by increasing information and awareness of domestic violence and by developing the ability of the specialists within public institutions in Romania to prevent and combat domestic violence on children.