Prevention

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Prevention Mission

The goal of the Alliance’s Prevention Initiative is to ensure prevention is understood and prioritised as a critical element of child protection across humanitarian action. Further investment in preventing harm to children, in addition to responsive actions, is needed for humanitarian to fulfill their ethical duty to prevent harm when possible, to uphold the best interest and rights of the child and to potentially be more cost-effective in our programming.

Objectives

Prevention is a strategic priority of the Alliance over 2021-2025. Over this period the Prevention Initiative will aim to:

  • Generate evidence on prevention as a cost-saving and life-saving intervention to protect children.
  • Grow knowledge, capacity, and understanding within the child protection sector on prevention strategies and approaches.
  • Engage with other sectors on incorporating child protection prevention strategies and approaches.

2021 Annual Meeting - Preventing Harm to Children

The theme of the Alliance’s 2021 Annual Meeting for Protection Children in was: Preventing Harm to Children. To find background papers, presentations and resources on prevention shared during the Meeting, click here. 

Video | What is Prevention?

 
 

Watch this short video series and learn about the importance of prevention for the protection of children in humanitarian action.

Further Resources to Support Strengths-Based
Approach in Prevention Strategies and Measurement

Prevention approaches seeks to increase child wellbeing in humanitarian settings, not only reduce risks. These core resources will support practitioners to develop a strong conceptual understanding to inform programming as well as participative tools to understand child well being in context.

Defining and Measuring Child Well-Being in Humanitarian Action: A Contextualization Guide

This package includes a guide to leading contextualisation of child well-being in humanitarian action and an accompanying training package and facilitator’s guide.

Latest News

Updated! Introductory Learning Package for the Primary Prevention Framework

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The CPHA Primary Prevention Introductory Learning Package has been updated and is now available in Arabic, English, French and Spanish. This package is designed to strengthen participants’ overall understanding of primary prevention in Child Protection in Humanitarian Action and is designed to be implemented in a flexible way in diverse humanitarian and learning settings. It takes into account the...
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Now Hiring! Prevention Focal Point

Poster
Plan USA, on behalf of the Alliance, is seeking an experienced and enthusiastic professional with a focus on primary preventative approaches to child protection. The Alliance launched its Prevention Initiative in 2020 and subsequently formed an advisory group to guide this work. Prevention also features as a strategic priority in the Alliance’s 2021-2025 Strategy. As part of the Prevention...
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New Video Series! Primary Prevention for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action

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Watch this short video series to learn about Primary Prevention and the importance of prevention for the protection of children in humanitarian action. Videos series includes: What is Prevention? - Learn about the three levels of prevention in child protection in humanitarian action. Why Invest in Child Protection Primary Prevention? - Learn the main reasons for investing in child protection...
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Hot off the Press! Guidance Note on Primary Prevention of Family Separation

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In 2021, the Alliance published the Primary Prevention Framework for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (the Framework). This was developed due to the recognition that whilst there has been significant progress regarding response to harm against children, less emphasis has been placed on preventing abuse, neglect, violence and exploitation of children. The aim of the Framework is to provide...
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Key Tools

Primary Prevention Framework for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action

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Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (CPHA) is “the prevention of and response to abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence against children in humanitarian action.” While significant effort and improvements have been made in the sector on responding when harm has already taken place, less focus has been placed on how we can prevent harm to children before it occurs.

The Primary Prevention

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Resources

Discussion Paper: Review of Existing Definitions and Explanations of Abuse, Neglect, Exploitation and Violence against Children

Academics, scholars, and practitioners have a tendency to use one term – typically “abuse” or “violence” – as the umbrella term for a full range of types of child maltreatment including neglect; exploitation; and physical, sexual, and psychological violence and abuse. This creates challenges for the identification of cases, the measurement of incidence rates, and the determination of appropriate...
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Desk Review on Child Wellbeing in Humanitarian Action: Concepts, Definitions, and Domains

This desk review represents the first step in a larger process to develop an overarching definition of child wellbeing that can be adapted according to context and used to define strategic objectives within humanitarian response. This report can also be found in 11 postcard-sized slides with chapter-level summaries here . This Desk Review has been updated and inlcuded in the Child Well-Being...
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Study Guide: Child neglect in humanitarian settings

This study guide is a companion to Child Neglect in Humanitarian Settings: Literature Review and Recommendations for Strengthening Prevention and Response, which synthesises evidence on the prevalence, patterns and impacts of child neglect in humanitarian contexts and offers recommendations for additional research and next steps. The purpose of the Study Guide is to increase learning, facilitate...
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Child Neglect in Humanitarian Settings: Literature review and recommendations for strengthening prevention and response

The available data routinely demonstrates that child neglect is the most common form of child maltreatment and is the leading cause of death in child maltreatment cases.The purpose of this literature review is to synthesise evidence on the prevalence, patterns and impacts of child neglect in humanitarian contexts. Further research and rigorous analysis are required in order to understand the...
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Preventing Household Violence: Promising strategies for humanitarian settings

Violence against women (VAW) and violence against children (VAC) are both global epidemics with prolonged impact on the health, well-being, and safety of both individuals and communities. The epidemics are also intimately interconnected, as VAW and VAC tend to co-occur within the same homes and exposure to VAC predicts VAW in adulthood. Yet despite a growing body of evidence indicating alarming...
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Media

The Three Levels of Prevention

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Video | Primary Prevention Explained: Sarah's Story

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Draft CPHA Prevention and Response Framework: Video overview

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Webinars

Webinar | Primary Prevention: Preparedness, Needs Assessment, and Design

Poster
The Prevention Initiative is pleased to invite you to a webinar Primary Prevention: Preparedness, Needs Assessment, and Design on 5 September 2023 from 3:00 - 4:30 pm CET. This webinar will focus on highlighting considerations, actions and learnings to take when planning primary prevention approaches. In particular, the webinar will explore the first three steps of the project cycle management...
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Webinar | An Introduction to Prevention with the Child Protection Minimum Standards

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Join us for an engaging an interactive webinar on an Introduction to Prevention with the Child Protection Minimum Standards. This webinar will include guest speakers from the Alliance Child Labour and UASC Task Forces, as well as the prevention-expert, Alliance coordinator, Hani Mansourian. There will also be lots of examples and time for questions, activities and discussion! We look forward to...
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Virtual Launch | Primary Prevention Framework for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action

The Prevention Initiative of the Alliance is pleased to invite you to attend the virtual launch of the Primary Prevention Framework for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action. While significant effort and improvements have been made in the sector to respond after harm has already taken place, less of a focus has been placed on how to prevent harm to children before it occurs. To that end, the...
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Prevention Initiative Focal Point