Protection concepts in voluntary work with children and young people

E-learning, (sexualised) violence, child abuse, child protection, protection concepts, voluntary work

German Sport University Cologne

07/2021 - 11/2024

Sexualised violence can take place in any place where children are present, such as sports, educational or leisure facilities. An important topic in the protection against (sexualised) violence is therefore the creation of protection concepts in all institutions and areas in which work is carried out with children and young people. The e-learning working group has already developed online courses for the creation of protection concepts in various professional organisations and institutions. A learning and information programme for the development of protection concepts in the voluntary sector is still lacking, but appears to be important as a supplement, as volunteers are in contact with children and young people in many areas of activity.

In this context, the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Ulm University Hospital is developing and evaluating an online platform that is aimed at all people who work as volunteers or provide guidance to volunteers. The content of the online platform is intended to protect against (sexualised) violence in volunteer structures and how to deal with a (suspected) case of sexualised violence, neglect or abuse. The following services are provided on the online platform for this purpose:

• A free online course for volunteer coordinators with a scope of 15-20 hours
• A free online module for volunteers lasting 4 hours
• A freely accessible information platform with important materials and information on the topic

The aims of the learning programme are to raise awareness of risk factors, impart skills for developing protection concepts in various settings and provide information to guide the development of protection concepts. The project focuses on the voluntary areas of sport, cultural education for children and young people and youth association work.

Participation in the online course is free of charge for the duration of the project from 2021-2024. The completion time for the online course is 180 days. After completing the course, the volunteer coordinator receives a certificate by passing an exam.

Both courses are now available on the Saarland child protection platform at https://kinderschutz-im-saarland.de. You can register to take part at https://kinderschutz-im-saarland.de/registrierung.

You can find more detailed information on the project at engagement-schutzkonzepte.elearning-kinderschutz.de

Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ)