Violence affects up to 1 in 2 children every year, with devastating acute and long-term consequences. Yet, we know that violence can be prevented, we have the tools to do so, and SDG Target 16.2 calls for ending violence against children.

The INSPIRE: Seven strategies for ending violence against children technical package is a collection of evidence-based recommendations on how to prevent and respond to violence against children, including Implementation and enforcement laws; Norms and values; Safe environments; Parent and caregiver support; Income and economic strengthening; Response and support services; and Education and life skills (see https://www.who.int/teams/social-determinants-of-health/violence-prevention/inspire-technical-package).

To assist governments, civil society and faith-based organizations in their efforts to reduce violence against children, the INSPIRE core agencies and INSPIRE Working Group are initiating this series of eight training webinars over the course of six months. The aims are to:

• Introduce INSPIRE to those who need to know and act on it,

• Support those who already work with INSPIRE in their efforts to scale it up, and

• Give all INSPIRE stakeholders an opportunity to get detailed insights into each of the seven strategies and the cross-cutting elements.

The target audience includes policy-makers and legislators, planners and technical staff, practitioners and implementers, faith-based and traditional leaders, civil society organizations, funders, advocates, and any other interested stakeholders.

Content

Following the introductory webinar held in December 2020, this second in the series will present the first INSPIRE strategy "implementation and enforcement of laws" in more depth.

On 19 January 2021 from 15h30-17h00 CET this second webinar will cover:

• Overview of the strategy and brief overview of findings from the Global status report on preventing violence 2020

• Implementation and enforcement of laws reducing access to alcohol and guns

• Global efforts to reach prohibition of corporal punishment in all settings

• Implementation and enforcement of laws to end sexual abuse and exploitation of children

• Q&A session with the experts

Confirmed speakers for the webinar include Anna Giudice (UNODC), Richard Matzopoulos (Medical Research Council of South Africa) and Sonia Vohito (Global Partnership to End Violence against Children). The webinar will be moderated by Stephen Blight (UNICEF).

“Don’t Know where to Go for Help”: Safety and Economic Needs among Violence Survivors during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Nature Public Health Emergency Collection; 2021 Jan 4

Leila Wood, corresponding author 1 Elizabeth Baumler,1 Rachel Voth Schrag,2 Shannon Guillot-Wright,1 Dixie Hairston,1 Jeff Temple,1 and Elizabeth Torres1

Abstract

The COVID—19 pandemic and related quarantine has created additional problems for survivors of interpersonal violence. The purpose of this study is to gain a preliminary understanding of the health, safety, and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on people that are experiencing or have previously experienced violence, stalking, threats, and/or abuse. An online survey, open from April to June 2020, was taken by people with safety concerns from interpersonal violence. Participants were recruited from IPV and sexual assault-focused agencies, state coalitions, and social media. Quantitative data were summarized using descriptive methods in SPSS and coding methods from thematic and content analysis was used to analyze qualitative data from open-ended questions. A total of 53 participants were recruited for the survey. Individuals with safety concerns have experienced increased challenges with health and work concerns, stress from economic instability, difficulties staying safe, and access resources and support. Over 40% of participants reported safety had decreased. Use of social media and avoidance strategies were the most common safety approaches used. Participants reported mixed experiences with virtual services. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing structural concerns for survivors of violence like IPV and sexual assault. Increased support and economic resource access, coupled with modified safety planning and improved virtual approaches, would better help meet survivor needs.

Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted nearly all aspects of daily life, from interacting with informal support networks to accessing routine healthcare. An overlooked consequence of the pandemic is the increased risk of intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual assault, resulting negative impacts, and the ability of survivors to access supportive services (Boserup et al. 2020; Kaukinen 2020). The novelty and speed of the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically altered the lives of survivors of violence, bringing new challenges and concerns alongside existing inequities. Preliminary evidence indicates that both the rate and severity of IPV, sexual assault, and other forms of interpersonal violence have increased in the wake of “stay-at-home” and social distancing guidelines related to COVID-19 and concomitantly, reporting and service access have declined (Jaramillo 2020; Piquero et al. 2020). In addition to exacerbating existing risk factors for IPV and sexual assault, such as isolation, economic insecurity, and lack of resources (Danis and Bhandari 2010), the COVID-19 pandemic is occurring alongside what is often referred to as a “second” pandemic of racial injustice in the United States (Baker 2020; Geiger 1997). Black indigenous people of color (BIPOC) are at increased risk for both IPV and sexual assault (Smith et al. 2017; Cheng and Lo 2016; Stockman et al. 2015) and COVID-19 (National Medical Association 2020; Tai et al. 2020) due to systemic barriers, creating potential for additional risk for BIPOC survivors during the pandemic.

While scholars have posited on the many challenges the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to survivors of violence (Kaukinen 2020), there is little data directly from those with active safety concerns about their needs during this time. To help address this gap, the current study recruited participants from IPV and sexual assault services to survey 53 adult survivors of with safety concerns from violence, stalking, threats, or past abuse to understand their needs during the pandemic. The goal of the study was to gain a preliminary understanding of the health, safety, and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic for survivors of IPV, sexual assault, and other forms of interpersonal violence.

Webinar: Prevention of Drug Use and other Risky Behaviours in Youth: Data-Based Planning for Effective Prevention

Mon, Feb 1, 2021 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM CET

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ISSUP Lebanon would like to invite you to attend their upcoming Webinar on the topic of Substance Use Epidemiology and Evidence-based Prevention Programs.

The talk will discuss the importance of adopting a public health approach to substance use prevention, and to using epidemiological data for the planning and evaluation of all programs and interventions aimed at preventing or reducing substance use.

Learning Outcomes:
1. Describe the public health approach to addressing public health problems such as youth substance use
2. Describe the role of epidemiological data in the planning, implementation and evaluation of substance use prevention in youth
3. Describe the components (standards) of successful youth substance use prevention programs/interventions

Speaker:
Dr Lilian Ghandour (PhD)
Associate professor of Epidemiology
American University of Beirut

Lilian A. Ghandour, PhD MPH is a tenured Associate Professor at the Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut (AUB). She received her PhD in 2008 from the Department of Mental Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr Ghandour has been involved in the design and analyses of various national and international surveys on youth substance use and mental health. Her research focuses on investigating the epidemiology of young adult harmful alcohol consumption, and prescription drug abuse, and mental health disorders in children and adolescents. Dr Ghandour is involved in translational research, conducting epidemiological studies to help generate data that would inform local national policies and practices. She has received several extramural research grants and awards for her work on youth mental health, and has published extensively in high tier peer-reviewed journals.