Sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and sexual harassment (SEAH) violate the rights and wellbeing of the people we serve and the people with whom we serve. Such behaviours are directly in opposition to WHO’s values and our abiding responsibility to do no harm. WHO uses the umbrella term “sexual mi...sconduct” to encompass the full spectrum of prohibited and unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature (including rape and sexual assault) as described in WHO’s 2023 Policy for preventing and addressing sexual misconduct (1). This is because all such acts are prohibited – whether perpetrated by WHO’s own personnel or by implementing partners – and therefore constitute misconduct. The term sexual misconduct is also easier to communicate and translate, as
victims and survivors do not always understand the complicated acronyms and definitions used by the United Nations (UN) and the humanitarian sector. However, we use the terms sexual misconduct and SEAH interchangeably as required when we interact with UN and other stakeholders.
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In the present report, the Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution, child pornography and other child sexual abuse material, Mama Fatima Singhateh, focuses on the impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) p...andemic on increased risk and various manifestations of sale and sexual exploitation of children. The Special Rapporteur outlines the push and pull factors, protection challenges and good practices, and provides recommendations on measures to address the heightened risks of sale and sexual exploitation of children, both online and offline, during and in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis and the ensuing lockdowns.
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Children living in humanitarian crises face an increased risk of abuse. While the threats of harm are increasing, the established systems in place to protect them are breaking down. Faced with the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts, vulnerable families suffer multiple hardships. Schools are closed an...d families have been pushed to the brink of poverty, sometimes having been denied the opportunity to protect and provide for their children.
The report provides an in-depth analysis of 19 Humanitarian Response Plans and Refugee Response Plans from 2019
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Singing to the Lions is a free training package (facilitator’s guide, supplement and video) by CRS, that is designed to help children and youth lessen the impact of violence and abuse in their lives. The main component is a three-day workshop where participants learn skills that can help them tran...sform their lives and no longer feel dominated by fear. Although the workshop is aimed at young people and includes games, art and songs, it can also be used to help adults take action on aspects of their lives that cause fear and, in so doing, become better parents and caregivers.
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Version 1.1
Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse
Protecting children on the move from violence, abuse and exploitation
While working with survivors and victims of domestic abuse, we have learned that
many people who have experienced abuse or trauma in their lives also experience mental health issues as a direct effect of what they have been through. This is why Chayn has created a Mental Health Toolkit available fo...r download by NGOs who support vulnerable individuals of all situations and circumstances
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WHO MiNDbank is an online platform bringing together country and international resources, covering mental health, substance abuse, disability, general health, human rights and development. It is part of WHO’s QualityRights campaign to end violations against people with mental disabilities. MiNDban...k aims to facilitate dialogue, advocacy and research, to promote reform in these areas in line with international human rights and best practice standards.
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Mental Health Atlas 2011 - Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, World Health Organization
Child protection in emergencies
The prevention of and response to
abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence
against children in emergencies. An
emergency is defined as threatening
condition that requires urgent action.
Emergencies often have devastating
effects on children’s lives. They res...ult in
girls and boys being killed or injured,
becoming orphaned, separated from their
families, being recruited into armed
forces or groups, being sexually abused,
becoming children with disabilities, being
trafficked or, worse, experiencing several
of these at the same time (CPMS).
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This new online platform brings together key international resources and national policies, strategies, laws and service standards for mental health, substance abuse, general health, disability, human rights and development.
Find out more: http://www.mindbank.info/
The pamphlet "Prescription Benzodiazepines" explains the uses, effects, and risks of benzodiazepines, commonly prescribed for insomnia, anxiety, and panic attacks. It describes how these drugs enhance GABA activity to suppress brain activity, leading to short-term effects like drowsiness and anxiety... relief, but also potential long-term risks such as dependence, addiction, and withdrawal symptoms. The pamphlet highlights abuse methods, including combining benzodiazepines with other substances, which increases the risk of overdose, and emphasizes the importance of medical supervision for withdrawal management.
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The Global status report on alcohol and health and treatment of substance use disorders presents a comprehensive overview of alcohol consumption, alcohol-related harm and policy responses as well as treatment capacities for alcohol and drug use disorders worldwide. The report is based on data collec...ted by WHO from Member States and organized in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals health target 3.5 which calls on countries to strengthen “the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol”. The chapter on alcohol and health continues the series of WHO global status reports on alcohol and health and presents the latest available data on the status of, and trends in, alcohol consumption, as well as estimates of the alcohol-attributable disease burden and descriptions of policy responses worldwide. On the basis of data collected from countries on the treatment of substance use disorders the report describes the status of key components of treatment responses to alcohol and drug use disorders and proposes a new service capacity index for these disorders as an additional contextual indicator for monitoring progress in this domain of SDG health target 3.5. The report concludes with broad directions for international action to accelerate progress towards achievement of SDG health target 3.5.
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Accessed on 02.02.2020
Child marriage is a serious Violation of human Rights and a severe form of child abuse, and disproportionately affects girls.
Protocol for the management of specialized centres for the treatment of people with alcohol and other drug abuse problems (CETAD) in the framework of the COVID-19 pandemic. Version 1.
PTSD Rating Scales: Two rating scales can be used by clinicians to help identify children's or adolescents' exposure to child abuse, interpersonal violence and other traumatic events, to identify PTSD symptoms, and to monitor symptoms. These are the UCLA PTSD Reaction Index (RI) and the Child PTSD S...ymptom Scale (CPSS). The RI is rated separately by the child or adolescent and a parent; the CPSS is rated only by the child or adolescent. This is the Child PTSD Symptom Scale. | Accessed online February 2019
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This report details the challenges many women and girls with disabilities face throughout the justice process: reporting abuse to the police, obtaining appropriate medical care, having complaints investigated, navigating the court system, and getting adequate compensation.
Persons with disabilities are one of the most vulnerable and socially excluded groups in any crisis-affected community. They may be in hidden in homes, overlooked during needs assessments and not consulted in the design of programs.4 While gender-based violence (GBV) affects women, girls, men and bo...ys, the vast majority of survivors globally are women and girls.5 Persons with disabilities have difficulty accessing GBV programs, due to a variety of societal, environmental and communication barriers, increasing their risk of violence, abuse and exploitation.
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Guide for community-based management and care of people with dementia
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Mental Health and Substance Abuse
Division of NCD and Health through the Life-Course
World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific
"This is the final report of the six-year collaboration between the WHO Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse and the Gulbenkian Global Mental Health Platform, an initiative of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation aimed at reducing the global burden of mental health through the development a...nd application of evidence and good practices to global mental health."
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