Mini Guide #4 | Child Protection in Outbreaks: Communicating with children in infectious disease outbreaks

Talking with and listening to children are not done in the same way as with adults. Children have different communication needs based on their age, stage of development, and other individual characteristics. This Mini-Guide is primarily for child protection and health practitioners. It can also be used by the social service workforce, as well as by humanitarian personnel in any sector as and when they come into contact with children.

The Mini-Guide explains how to communicate with children on a one-to-one level. Personnel working in settings impacted on by infectious disease outbreaks may come into contact with children and will need to know how to talk and listen to them effectively. These skills may be required when:

• Advising children on containment, control, and mitigation measures
• Explaining to children that they are unwell and why they are unwell
• Testing children or providing them with medical treatment
• Telling children that they have to go into isolation or quarantine
• Listening to children’s concerns and worries, as well as needs and solutions
• A child is in distress
• Telling a child that their caregiver, family member, or friend has died
• Telling a child that their caregiver, family member, or friend is unwell

To view the other mini guides in this series, click here: Mini Guide #1, Mini Guide #2, Mini Guide #3, Mini Guide # 5 and Mini-Guide #6.