Abstract:

The issues under study have become subject to public focus during 1970s and 1980. Nowadays the challenges in the area are increasing due to the commercialization of interpersonal relations, entertainment industry strive to widen its target audiences, global migration.

A number of international conventions and documents provide solid legal grounds for minors' protection. Nonetheless, the authors consider that the issues related to the protection of children against sexual exploitation and abuse should be explored within the multidimensional and crosscutting framework. Moreover, the relevant research should go beyond the legislative framework and explore ways to increase society’s awareness and engagement to promote educational tools regarding minors’ protection against sexual abuse. Thus, the present study focuses on multi-pronged practices regarding various education and training contexts aimed to tackle sexual abuse of minors.

The research methodology rests on the comparative analysis of current international practices regarding training of various audiences and agencies that are in charge of minors’ protection.

The research materials include the information provided by the States that are members to the Committee of the Parties to the Council of Europe Convention on the protection of children against sexual exploitation and sexual abuse (Lanzarote Convention, 2007).

The Committee conducts on-going monitoring of the Lanzarote Convention provisions implementation into the national legislation of the Member States. The above monitoring is kept on track through the Member States’ surveys on their current legislation and practices. The countries’ official replies to the relevant questionnaires have formed the fact-based background of the empirical analysis.

The comprehensive study of national practices of the Lanzarote Committee member states covered the following topics:
a) training of professionals (police officers, prosecutors, judges, health services representatives)
b) types of special training (in house training, short-term training, academic training modules within degree programmes), its mandatory or optional status;
c) adequate financial resources for various forms of training
d) use of ICT for preventive training and relevant information dissemination
e) community’s engagement in preventive training (relating to family, schools, friends and relatives)
f) NGO’s and academia cooperation with respect to target audiences training.

The research findings made it possible to draft recommendations on a number of issues, including careful research of potential audiences that should be subject of specialized training to protect minors, interdisciplinary approach to training on preventing child sexual abuse, development of standards for professionals’ training, Academia’s engagement in professionals’ training, professionals’ training in the field of communication skills and procedural matters regarding all stages of minor victim treatment,etc. Details and relevant statistics will be provided in the report.