Healthcare workers in Sharjah trained to support child victims

Emirate’s new child safety center collaborates with the hospital to foster safeguarding measures.

Training Focus:

Healthcare professionals in Sharjah are undergoing specialized training facilitated by Kanaf, a recently established multi-agency child protection center. 

The sessions aim to enhance the skills of doctors, nurses, and other medical staff in addressing and supporting child victims of violence and abuse.

Training Modules:

The training sessions are divided into three stages. The initial stage focuses on equipping healthcare workers with the necessary skills to engage with young patients sensitively. 

They learn how to ask open-ended and non-threatening questions, employing the Socratic questioning technique, which encourages natural responses without pressuring children to rehearse answers.

Empowering Sensitivity:

Dr. Bana Bouzaboon, Kanaf’s mental health director, led the training, emphasizing the significance of Socratic questions in enabling children to express thoughts, feelings, and experiences without feeling intimidated. 

Role-playing exercises involving a simulated interaction among a mother, child, and doctor were employed to provide practical insights into handling sensitive situations involving potential child abuse victims.

Impact and Importance:

The Socratic questioning method allows healthcare professionals to engage with young patients more effectively, potentially uncovering cases of child abuse that might otherwise go unnoticed. 

By fostering an environment where children can share their experiences without fear, the training seeks to ensure appropriate safeguarding measures are implemented promptly.