The EU is funding a European project

for child victims of violence

   

The “Justice andConsumers” Directorate-General of the European Commission has financed aEuropean project submitted by the HOSPITALITY EUROPE office in Brussels, forchild and adolescent victims of domestic violence. The application had beenmade in November and funding of EUR420,000 has been approved. This is the veryfirst project to be coordinated by one of the Order’s European Centres underthe EU Programme to assist victims and witnesses of domestic violence. For theproject will be led by the St John of God Hospital in Barcelona and involve theRome-based  Fatebenefratelli Foundation (TiberIsland), the St. Hedwig clinic of the St John of God Hospital in Regensburg, aswell as the Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital in Rome.

The project will takeoff after the summer, and will offer the opportunity to provide Europe-widetraining for the health care personnel in the participating facilities, by sharingand enhancing their skills and capabilities to correctly detect cases where patientshave developed behavioural or post-traumatic stress problems as a result ofhaving been victims of or witnesses to domestic violence.

This kind of trainingis particularly important today in children’s psychiatry apartments andpaediatric clinics, where it is increasingly more difficult to distinguishbetween cases of neurodevelopmental problems (such as the ADHD orhyperactivity-compulsivity) and post-traumatic behavioural reactions on the pastof child victims or witnesses of violence.

In addition toimproving the health care workers’ knowledge and skills in this field, theproject will implement an appropriate support programme to meet thepsychological-physical needs of the victims and their loved ones.  

The hospitals takingpart in the project will also draft a protocol jointly with the LocalAuthorities to encourage people to report violence and ensure that increasinglymore prompt action is taken by the judicial authorities in the countriesconcerned.

 

 

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