Since 1992 our non-governmental organization is working on
the field of prevention of sexual abuse and violence and therefore
contributing to the positive change that Austria made in the last decades in
this respect.
We work with children, parents and teachers.
In our Child Protection Workshops with children at schools the aim is to
strengthen the children's self-confidence, and encourage them to trust their
own feelings. The workshops enable children to recognize early any violation
of their own or another person's personal space and critical situations.
This is achieved by role plays using suitable stories for children, taken
from everyday life and dealing with violence, and by group exercises and
group discussions. The children are practicing getting help and support in
critical situations. They are taught to show respect for another person's
personal space.
A multiplier effect is to be expected; the children passing on their
knowledge to other children as well as carrying it into their families. Our
quality standards for our school projects also require that we consider both
gender specific aspects as well as the children's different ethnic and social
backgrounds. The special needs of children with disabilities are taken into
consideration in the workshops. Girls and boys are in separate workshops
which allows gender specific subject matter to be appropriately conveyed.
The project enhances the pupils' awareness and feelings for democracy and human rights.