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Children with disabilities and violence:

primary prevention targeting families

With financial support of the European Commission

RATIONALE and NEEDS

Child abuse and neglect in the family context is a widespread phenomenon. Research shows that children with disabilities are up to 4 times more at risk of maltreatment than children without. It is a complex phenomenon, which can only be explained through a multi-factorial model. The daily responsibility to care for children with disabilities, can contribute to the development of stress and reduce the resilience of parents, thus increasing the risk of violence.
Studies show that effective prevention of violence against children requires multi-level interventions, e.g. interventions that simultaneously address risk factors and protective factors at different levels. Primary prevention is effective if it empowers the family, the child and professionals working with both.
Prevention practices have to build on family needs, resources and strengths, giving them a fundamental and active role in prevention.
Professionals in health, educational and social services across Europe and the representatives of NGO’s, Associations and Social Cooperatives are key people in the development of prevention strategies. They need to be aware of the complexity of multi-level prevention activities and the necessity, in most cases, of coordinating interventions between various agencies.

 

AIM and FOCUS

The project Children with disabilities and violence: primary prevention targeting families, aims to prevent violence against children with disabilities. The project focuses specifically on the role of families as primary care givers. This role is often ambivalent: families offer important protective environments, but families might also generate various form of violence and restrict the development of autonomy, an important form of neglect. Primary prevention should therefore be of an integrated nature, focusing both on the creation of supportive networks and on the empowerment of families and children.

ACTIVITIES

• Research involving young adults with disabilities, families and professionals
• Research into good practice in prevention.
• Development of learning program mes for staff and parent training.
• Writing of an informative booklet to guide and orient professionals in setting up prevention activities.
• Dissemination, networking.

 

EXPECTED RESULTS

The project will improve the capacity of associations, cooperatives and health, education and social services to develop and implement models of primary prevention in this field.

 

PARTNERSHIP

AIAS Bologna onlus is an independent non profit oriented association of people with disabilities and their families. The organisation actively represents the interests of people with disabilities and supports individuals and families.
FENACERCI is a Portuguese umbrella organisation of social cooperatives. The organisation represents the interests of cooperatives working with children with disabilities and their families.
DISABILITY NOW is a Greek NGO representing people with disabilities. The organisation’s primary focus is on information and dissemination activities.
SUSTENTO is the Latvian Umbrella Body for Disability organisations. The aim of the organisation is to protect the rights of people with disabilities in order to secure their social inclusion.
EVPIT is an Estonian Mentally Disabled People Support Organisation. It is an umbrella organisation for bodies dealing with people with intellectual disabilities.

 

CONTACT:
AIAS Bologna onlus
Via Ferrarra 32
40139 Bologna Italy
Tel.: + 39 051 525174
E-mail: aiasprogetti@ausilioteca.org

 

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