How to react

Violence against a child is any act or omission that causes harm, suffering, violates the dignity, physical or mental health of the child and inhibits its development. Violence can take various forms:

• physical violence: It includes any actions that cause pain or bodily harm, such as beating, kicking, suffocating, jerking, pushing, and the use of corporal punishment (also spanking). Physical violence can leave visible traces such as bruises, scratches, fractures, but also invisible mental wounds.
• Psychological violence: These are all forms of behavior that negatively affect the child’s emotional health. It can include intimidation, ridicule, humiliation, humiliation, emotional blackmail, manipulation and constant criticism. Psychological violence weakens the child’s self-esteem, leads to anxiety, depression and emotional disorders.
• Emotional Violence: She is closely related to psychological violence, but especially refers to situations in which the child is ignored, rejected, unloved, cut off from emotional support. It can also include extreme requirements, indifference to the child’s needs, as well as the use of the threat of abandonment.
• sexual violence: Sexual violence includes not only direct physical contacts of a sexual nature, but also exposure to pornographic content, forcing to perform sexual activities, and the use of a child for pornographic purposes. Sexual violence has long-term, devastating effects on the child’s psyche and health.
• Negligence: It is a failure to care for a child and the unsatisfactory of its basic needs, such as eating, clothing, health care, protection against threats, as well as emotional and educational needs. Negligence can be just as harmful as direct violence, leading to serious health, developmental and mental problems.
• Peer violence: It includes the actions of other children or adolescents who are aggressive, intimidating, humiliating or harmful to peers. It can be both physical, mental and emotional violence, as well as cyberbullying, i.e. aggression carried out via the Internet and social media. Violence against children is unacceptable in any form and always leads to serious consequences for the health and development of the child.

Violence against a child takes away his power because it destroys his self-esteem, security and trust in the world. A child who experiences violence loses confidence in his own strength and begins to perceive himself as a person unworthy of love and respect. Here’s how violence affects a child:

• Decreasing self-esteem: A child who is regularly criticized, ridiculed or humiliated begins to believe that he is inferior, incapable of achievement and unworthy of love. Such an attitude can lead to difficulties in learning, relationships with peers and adults, as well as problems in later life.

• No sense of security: Violence in the family, at school or in a peer environment makes the child live in constant fear. Insecurity affects the emotional development of a child, leading to anxiety, depression and even psychosomatic disorders such as chronic pains or sleep problems.

• Relationship disorders: A child who experiences violence may find it difficult to establish healthy, trusted relationships with others. This can lead to social isolation, difficulties in building friendships, and also to problems in relationships in adult life.

• Impact on mental health: Violence, especially mental and emotional, can lead to the development of serious mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, PTSD (PTSD), as well as thoughts and suicide attempts.

• Restriction of development and aspirations: A child who is constantly criticized and deprived of support can give up pursuing his goals and dreams. Lack of support and encouragement makes the child not believe that he can achieve success, which leads to a reduction in his potential.

Violence takes the child a power that is necessary for full, healthy development and preparation for adult life. A child who experiences violence needs support to regain self-confidence and his abilities.

Recognizing violence against a child can be difficult because children often hide their suffering because of shame, fear of retaliation or loyalty to the perpetrator. However, there are some signals that may indicate that the child is experiencing violence:

• Behavior changes: A child who suddenly becomes withdrawn, fearful, excessively aggressive, has trouble concentrating or begins to avoid peers, may experience violence. Sudden deterioration of academic performance, lack of interest in previous passions, as well as problems with emotional control are also potential alarm signals.

• physical symptoms: Bruises, scratches, burns, wounds that the child translates unbelievably may indicate physical violence. Frequent complaints of abdominal pain, headache or other ailments, without clear medical reasons, may indicate stress or anxiety associated with violence.

• sleep problems: Nightmares, problems with falling asleep, soaking at night can be symptoms of experiencing traumatic experiences related to violence.

• Neglect of hygiene and appearance: A child who is neglected may wear dirty, unwashed clothes, have unwashed hair, problems with the health of their teeth or skin. A neglected child may look chronically tired and malnourished.

• Avoiding certain people or places: A child who suddenly begins to avoid contact with a specific person, does not want to go to school, kindergarten, or visit specific places, may experience violence there.

• Changes in social relations: Isolating yourself from peers, distrust of adults, difficulties in making friends can be signs of experiencing violence. The child may become overly obedient to avoid conflicts or excessively aggressive in defense attempts.

If you notice any of these signals, do not underestimate your fears. Talking to the child, full of care and understanding, can help you discover what is really going on. Also, do not hesitate to seek help from specialists such as psychologists, educators or social workers who can support the child and help in taking appropriate actions.

Responding to violence against a child is not only a moral obligation, but also a legal requirement. Each of us who has suspicions that a child may experience violence should take action to protect them. Here are the steps you can take:

• Talk to your child: If you suspect a child is experiencing violence, try talking to him. Do it in a safe, quiet place, showing understanding and support. Ask open questions and avoid judging. Let the child know that he is not to blame for what is happening and that you are here to help him.

• Report violence to the relevant services: In Poland, every person who has knowledge or justified suspicions that a child is a victim of violence is obliged to report it to appropriate services, such as the police, social welfare center, school or kindergarten. In the event of a serious threat to the life or health of the child, the police or ambulance service should be immediately notified.

• Contact support organizations: Many organizations offer support for victims of violence and people who suspect that the child may experience harm. Taking advantage of telephone or online advice can help you take the right steps.

• Secure the evidence: If you have access to evidence of violence, such as photos, recordings, other people’s testimonies, try to protect them. They can be crucial in the process of protecting the child and bringing the perpetrator to justice.

• Find support from specialists: If you are not sure how to proceed, consult a specialist such as a psychologist, educator or lawyer. They will help you understand the situation and take the best possible actions.

For more information on how to respond to violence, including detailed instructions on various forms of abuse, visit reaguj.fdds.pl

Your reaction brings the child a sense of security and gives a chance for a better future. It can protect the health and even the life of a child!

Each form of violence has not only an immediate impact on the child, but also deferred consequences, such as low self-esteem, relational difficulties, reduced knowledge assimilation, greater probability of aggressive and self-destructive behavior.

By responding to violence, you care about the safety and good future of the child.

Many children do not have close adults in their environment who support him and can help him. By reacting, you show your child that he is not alone, that it is important, you share your strength with him.

You show that there are adults who can be trusted.

By reacting, you do not agree to be indifferent to harming children.

You show other adults that you can and should oppose violence against children. 

React!

Inform the Local Social Welfare Center

In the event of suspicion of violence against the child, the Social Welfare Center is obliged to deal with such a case and establish the so-called Blue card. As part of the Blue Card procedure, the social worker will examine the situation in the child’s family, and then intervention and aid activities will be planned.  

To report violence, go or call the Social Welfare Center. A social welfare center can send an employee to visit the family and conduct an environmental interview.

The address and telephone number of the relevant social welfare center can be found on the website of the City, Commune or District Office. You can also enter the appropriate keywords in the Internet search engine + city name + district name.

Inform the nursery, kindergarten or school of the abused child

You can notify an employee of the nursery, kindergarten or school of the abused child about the disturbing situation. Inform the teacher or the director of the facility about your suspicions. These people often know the situation of the child and his family and will know how to react. Educational institutions should have a scheme of interventions in case of suspicion of child abuse. In addition, the kindergarten, the school can run the blue card procedure. Consequently, & nbsp; people from various public institutions (including a policeman, psychologist, doctor, social worker) & nbsp; They will analyze the situation and take steps to support the child, provide him with help and safety.

Inform the district / other police officer

You can inform the district officer competent for the child’s place of residence or other police officer about your concerns about the situation of the child.  

To contact the police, dial the number 997 (free, 24/7).

To find the nearest police unit, check the name of the district police and & nbsp; Find his phone number Use the Internet search engine or the “My command” mobile application. 

The district attendant has the option of entering the house or apartment and immediately examining the situation of the child. When a police officer decides that the child is experiencing domestic violence, he can trigger the Blue Card procedure. Consequently, & nbsp; people from various public institutions (including a policeman, psychologist, doctor, social worker) & nbsp; They will analyze the situation and take steps to support the child, provide him with help and safety.

Notify the Family Court

You can notify the family court about the situation of violence against a child in the family closest to the child’s place of residence. You can send a letter asking for an insight into the child’s situation anonymously. When the family court finds out about the risk of the child’s welfare, he will be obliged to take steps to check his situation, protect and support parents in raising the child.  

You can write the notification yourself. There is no need to use a specific formula. However, if you want to use the formula of such a letter, you can find it below. In the notification, describe the child’s situation, enter his name and surname – if you know him. Be sure to enter the child’s home address so that the court can take action.

You can also submit the notification orally – for this, go to the family court and talk to the employee.  

You can contact the nearest family court on the website. Enter: www. The name of the city without Polish letters.sr.gov.pl (for example, www.gliwice.sr.gov.pl).

You can send the notification by traditional mail, e-mail (e-mail) or deliver it in person.

React!
React in person

notice

Signal that you have noticed the situation of child abuse. Establishing eye contact may be a sufficient reaction to prevent the parent, caregiver or other adult accompanying the child. Don’t be afraid to watch. You have the right to look at what is happening in public space.  

Make contact

When a parent is torn by such strong emotions that he cannot stop violence against his child, rational arguments will not reach him. If you want; React effectively, try to lower its voltage. Ask a simple question like, “Sorry, is something wrong?” You can also refer to your own experiences, for example: “I remember when my children were that age. It’s a very difficult time. Can I help you?” Sometimes it is enough to say out loud: “I see that it is difficult for you” or “sometimes we have a bad day and then we cannot get along”. The very attempt to start such a conversation can give the parent food for thought and stop the violence against the child. It may also be the beginning of a further conversation leading to calming down the situation.

Name the situation  

Don’t criticize or attack, but don’t avoid naming things. Calmly but firmly talk about what disturbed you – for example: “I can see that you hit a child”, “Please do not hit the child. Please never do this.”

Notify the police

When a person who is harming a child is also aggressive towards you or when your attempt to stop the abuse of violence has failed and the child is still exposed to violence, then report the situation to the police by calling 112 or 997.

112 – General emergency number. The employee will forward your application to the relevant emergency services, in this situation to the police.

997 – Police emergency number. You will call the nearest unit.  

Emergency numbers 112 and 997 are free and open 24 hours a day.

React!
Notify the prosecutor’s office or the police

When an adult undertakes any sexual activity involving a child under 15, we are always dealing with a crime.

Notify the suspicion of a sexual offense against the child of the District Prosecutor’s Office or the Police (in writing or oral). In the event of an oral notification, a protocol will be drawn up from your statement.  

If you are notified to the police, find the unit where the crime was committed. If it is not possible or it is not known exactly where the crime occurred – submit a notification to the nearest police unit. The notification will be immediately forwarded to the entity appropriate for the place of the event and further steps in the case will be performed there.

To find the right one & nbsp; Police unit, use the internet search engine or the “My command” mobile application.

In order to properly prepare the application, you can use the help of a lawyer providing advice at a local free legal assistance point or at a family support center, social welfare center, crisis intervention center.  

List of local legal aid points

As a result of the notification, the prosecutor’s office will conduct an explanatory proceedings. He decides whether to accuse the suspect and his guilt will be established by the court.

Since 2017, everyone has a legal obligation to notify law enforcement agencies if they suspect that there has been a crime aimed at the child’s welfare (such as, for example, serious health detriment, rape, sexual abuse).

React!
Notify the Family Court

You can notify the family court about the situation of gross negligence of the child closest to the child’s place of residence. You can send a letter asking for an insight into the child’s situation anonymously. When the family court finds out about the risk of the child’s welfare, he is obliged to take steps to check his situation, protect and support parents in raising the child.

You can write the notification yourself. There is no need to use a specific formula. However, if you want to use the formula of such a letter, you can find it below. In the notification, describe the child’s situation, enter his name and surname – if you know him. Be sure to enter the child’s home address so that the court can take action.

You can also submit the notification orally – for this purpose, go to the family court and talk to the employee.

You can contact the nearest family court on the website. Enter: www. The name of the city without Polish letters.sr.gov.pl (for example, www.gliwice.sr.gov.pl).

You can send the notification by traditional mail, e-mail (e-mail) or deliver it in person

Inform the Local Social Welfare Center

You can notify the local social welfare center about the situation of gross negligence of the child. You can even send a letter asking you to check your child’s situation anonymously, including by e-mail.

The social worker will go to the family’s place of residence and conduct an environmental interview. This will allow him to assess the situation of the family and plan activities adequate to the existing problems. Provide parents with information on where and from whom to get help. The social worker can also start the Blue Card procedure when it turns out, & nbsp; that the parents’ behavior towards the child is intentional harm. As part of the blue card procedure, the social worker will examine the situation in the child’s family, and then intervention and aid activities will be planned.

The address and telephone number of the relevant social welfare center can be found on the website of the City, Commune or District Office. You can also enter the appropriate keywords in the Internet search engine + city name + district name.

Yes, you can report the matter anonymously. In this case, the authority or institution should check your suspicions “ex officio”, that is, on their own initiative, initiated by your notification, examine the matter. When deciding to report, remember that your personal testimony in the case is very important! It may turn out that additional information will be needed that you could / could provide very quickly, but without your data, the authority or institution will have to determine this issue on their own, which extends the time. And time in matters relating to children is often key to keeping them safe!

If it turns out that the child is not hurt, that’s great news! You with your attitude – mindfulness to the potential threat to the child’s welfare – even if it turned out that the child is not hurt in this case – you contribute to building good role models in society and show that you need to react.

Are you afraid of the legal consequences of submitting a notification that turned out to be unfounded? unnecessary. & nbsp; If you had reason to believe that the child is being hurt, no one will punish you for it, nor will you take any consequences against the child’s parents / legal guardians. The law only punishes people who knew, i.e. they were certain, that the crime did not take place, but made a false notification, e.g. to persecute someone or otherwise tease them.

Since 2010, Poland has been legally forbidden to use corporal punishment, including spanking, against children. The prohibition of the use of corporal punishment should be understood not only as the prohibition of “beating a child”, but also by giving it to the so-called spanking to force obedience from childhood. This goal makes spanking a corporal punishment, not a proper educational method. Each corporal punishment is a manifestation of domestic violence, because pursuant to Art. 2 point 2 of the Act of 29 July 2005 on Counteracting Domestic Violence (Journal of Laws No. 180, item 1493), domestic violence should be understood as one-off or repeated intentional act or infringement rights or personal rights of family members, in particular exposing these persons to the danger of loss of life, health, infringing their dignity, bodily inviolability, sexual freedom, causing harm to their physical or mental health, as well as causing suffering and suffering and Moral harms in people affected by violence – Piasecki Kazimierz (ed.), Family and guardianship code. Comment, ed. V. Published: LexisNexis 2011.

The use of violence against another person is legally prohibited in Poland. The age of the person does not matter. The use of violence against a child and an adult is punishable in the same way. Each of us has a moral obligation to report violence as a crime. By reporting violence, you can save someone’s health or life. When submitting the application, ask for the details of the person receiving the application, save it and keep it.

There is no awareness in society that the best place for a child is the family, but only when it is safe. & nbsp; Which means that a child in this family does not experience violence from their loved ones. In many situations, the child remains with his relatives, and help is directed to his parents. Specialists support them in the use of such educational methods that do not hurt the child, and also teach adults how to regulate their own emotions. However, if the child, for safety reasons, cannot stay with the parents, the services will first turn to the child’s relatives and ask to look after the child. If no one is ready to accept this role in the family, the child will be placed in a foster family, as a last resort in an institutional institution. For many children, putting in foster care is an opportunity for safety and further development.

Violence can escalate and increasingly threaten the safety and proper development of the child. In addition, the child still lives in the feeling that he is alone and that no one will help him. In a situation where you do not react to the so-called “Serious crimes against children (severe health damage, rape, sexual abuse) are subject to criminal liability.

Call 800 100 100 and talk to specialists.

When you suspect that your child is experiencing violence, you feel anxious, you lack courage, or do not know how to react, talk about your insights with your parents and teachers phone consultants on child safety at 800 100. The phone is anonymous, it is open from Monday to Friday from 12.00 to 15.00, and on Thursday 16:30-20:30 the consultants will not take action for you, but will tell you what you can do in such a situation. We do not always feel ready to react to the child’s harm. However, most of us have the right resources to react!

React! Report!

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Illegal content on the Internet: https://dyzurnet.pl

More information on: www.gov.pl/web/niezagubdzieckawsieci/zglaszaj-dowody-cyberprzemoc