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"Family Energy" ---- Project
for Family Empowerment in Tin Shui Wai
Background
"Family Energy" ----
Project for Family Empowerment is a pilot project run by the
Society. In the past 10 years, 434 out of 1,823 children under
our care (i.e. 12.48%) were admitted to our residential child
care services as victims or siblings of victims of child abuse
or child neglect etc. In this regard, we see the need to extend
our service for children with child abuse background from
merely a residential setting to community services.
According to our research and recent statistics available,
domestic violence and child abuse are issues worthy of our
attention in Tin Shui Wai. Our main concern is children are
often the victims of family problems. They need our care.
Family problems often pass from one generation to another
and even to several generations after.
Our plan is to break this vicious circle of family violence
through prevention and early intervention and through edu-care
(i.e. education and social care). Our school network is a
good platform for preventive and education work.
We plan to reach out to our target children and families
effectively via a school-based screening program.
Features
· Children as partner
· School-based prevention program
· Early identification and intervention
· Screening of all students for domestic violence
· Multi-level intervention
· Multi-agency approach
Rationales
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· existing
approaches of family violence prevention programs mostly
work with adults on the assumption that they would seek
help if they have problems |
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· parents would not report
to others about their outrageous behaviours against their
children and this has prevented them from seeking help
from the professionals |
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· most tragic cases also
show that residual capacities of some adults in times
of crisis are not enough for them to see such alternatives
as seeking help from others |
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· children being the
direct witnesses of what happen in their family every
day can provide information about their families for early
identification and intervention |
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· not only children can
provide information about their family for early intervention,
they can also be helped to protect themselves and their
families |
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· involving children
is |
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· quest for children
participation in matters affecting them |
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· possible with appropriate
use of child-friendly methods |
Developing Screening Tool
· Based on the picture-card version of the "Parent -
Child Conflict Tactics Scale"(CTSPC), our Project has
sought the assistance of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University
to develop a web-version of tool for family violence screening.
· School children are expected to complete the screening tool
within 20 minutes.
· The types of family violence screening includes :
· physical violence against children in the family
· psychological violence children in the family
· child neglect by parents
· violence between parents (witnessed by the children)
· The screening tool is so designed that the severity level
of different forms of violence can be captured.
Forming Collaborative Alliance
· Service receiving schools :
These refer to schools which are prepared to participate in
the violence screening among their students.
· Service providing agencies :
These refer to social service agencies which would provide
family violence prevention services to families with identified
risks.
Implementation Date
June 19, 2006
Source of Income
The Project is run on a self-financing basis. Apart from
money raised from a flag day held at the end 2005, we need
private donations and grants to support and sustain the Project.
Manpower Support
2 qualified social workers, 1 project assistant, honorary
advisors, parent volunteers and volunteers from the community.
Contact us
Address: Room G03, Hong Kong Student Aid Society Primary
School,
No. 2, Tin Yip Road, Tin Shui Wai,
New Territories (near the Wetland Park)
Telephone number : 2448 1121
Fax number : 2448 2261
Email : info-pfe@hksas.org.hk.
Please also read South
China Morning Post's report (Computer Games to monitor child
abuse)
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