Two Programs for the Prevention of Sexual Harassment Were Implemented in a Bulgarian Family-Type Accommodation Centre

The "Ability to Change" initiative was launched in 2019 in Bulgaria by organizations that are members of the Partnership for Learning and Action network. The project "And is it so… (stories about power and violence)" is part of this initiative, which includes the Know-how Center for the Alternative Care for Children, NBU, and the Demetra Association. The participating organizations, together with the young people from FTAC (Family-Type Accommodation Centre), studied the manifestations of the types of violence, helped them to recognize them, in order to prevent dangers for themselves and their friends, specifically from getting into sexual harassment and exploitation situations.

Presentation of two programs for prevention of sexual exploitation

On April 20, 2021, the Demetra Association, which has been operating in Burgas for 27 years and which has developed a regional strategy for the prevention of sexual exploitation, presented two programs it is actively working on - the Hedgehogs program, borrowed from the Lucy Faithful Foundation (UK), and the Stop Sexual Harassment program. The Hedgehogs program is widely used by students from primary schools (5th to 7th grade) in Burgas and Plovdiv regions.

The Stop Sexual Harassment program was borrowed from a project run in collaboration with the University of Leeds. After adaptation and testing with high school students, it is now for the first time implemented in the FTAC within the project "And is it so ... (stories about power and violence)". Through role-plays and case studies, the program increases children's sensitivity to and awareness of the topic. Attention is also paid to the types of violence and the definitions of sexual harassment and sexual violence, as well as to how different forms of harassment are recognized: from cynical jokes to forced sexual contact.

The children willingly joined and participated in the trainings very actively

The children from the FTAC in Burgas, who are about to leave the service soon, have been very actively involved in the five trainings. One of the difficulties was remote work due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Much of the children's time has recently been spent on the phone and tablet, so the focus has been on increasing vigilance against cyberbullying, as well as where to seek help if a problem arises.

    "The training helped us a lot, we understood some things that are not right and I think we will be able to do fine it in the future."

   - A girl living in the FTAC which had joined the project

Some of the topics of discussion were:

1.     The importance of research, data collection and the development of evidence-based work programs;
2.     How to emphasize the recognition of emotions when working with children in FTACs?
3.     How can we be sure that young people will apply this knowledge after leaving the FTAC?

For the moment the video of the event is available only in Bulgarian.