Verhinderung sexueller Ausbeutung von Kindern im Kanton Zürich. Präventionsarbeit im ausserschulischen Bereich : eine Situations- und Bedarfsanalyse

Die 1989 ratifizierte Konvention über die Rechte des Kindes bietet eine klare normative Grundlage zum Schutz von Kindern vor Gewalt, Missbrauch und Ausbeutung. Trotz der Bemühungen zum Kindesschutz werden zahlreiche Kinder und Jugendliche Opfer sexueller Gewalt (WHO, 2017). Obwohl die Datenlage in der Schweiz kein vollständiges Bild ergibt, zeigen vorliegende repräsentative Studien wie die Optimus Studien 2012 und 2018 (Schmid, 2018), dass der sexuelle Missbrauch mit einem Anteil von 15,2% an den primären Formen der Kindeswohlgefährdung hoch ist. So ergab eine Hochrechnung anhand von 940 von Kinderschutzorganisationen dokumentierten Fällen, dass im Jahr 2016 19-31 von 10'000 Kindern Opfer sexueller Gewalt wurden (Schmid, 2018, S. 25). Eine wirksame Prävention von sexualisierter Gewalt ist dabei nur als Kombination unterschiedlicher Massnahmen möglich. Auf individueller Ebene sollen Kinder in ihrer psychosexuellen Entwicklung unterstützt und ermutigt werden, sich bei ungefragten Überschreitungen ihrer Körpergrenzen zu verteidigen. Allerdings können Kinder und Jugendliche nicht die Verantwortung tragen, sich vor sexuellen Übergriffen zu schützen. Es sind weitere Massnahmen wie die Prävention auf Ebene der Täterschaft und auf struktureller Ebene notwendig (Kinderschutz Schweiz, 2020). So bieten im ausserschulischen Bereich Vereine ein grosses Potential zur Prävention sexueller Ausbeutung bei Kindern und Jugendlichen. Allerdings erschweren es Hindernisse wie die Tabuisierung des Themas und die begrenzten Ressourcen der Vereine, spezifische Präventionsangebote zu entwickeln und selbständig zu implementieren. Hier sind professionelle Organisationen gefragt, die die Vereine bei der Präventionsarbeit mit spezifischen Angeboten, ihrem Wissen und ihren Fachkompetenzen unterstützen. Die Forschungsstelle Gesundheitswissenschaften der Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften (ZHAW) wurde deshalb vom Verein zur Verhinderung sexueller Ausbeutung von Kindern im Sport (VERSA), dem Zürcher Stadtverband für Sport (ZSS), dem Zürcher Kantonalverband für Sport (ZKS) und okaj zürich beauftragt, eine Situations- und Bedarfsanalyse durchzuführen, um einen Überblick über die aktuelle Situation im Bereich Prävention sexualisierter Gewalt im Kanton Zürich zu gewinnen und die Bedürfnisse und Bedarfe von Institutionen des Freizeitbereichs und Eltern zu erfassen. Zudem sollten Hinweise auf die Wirkung der bestehenden Präventionsangebote, wie der 2001 vom Zürcher Stadtverband für Sport gegründete «Verein zur Verhinderung sexueller Ausbeutung von Kindern im Sport» (VERSA) sowie Hinweise zur inhaltlichen und organisatorischen Weiterentwicklung der bestehenden Präventionsangebote gewonnen werden. Um die Aktivitäten und Kompetenzen von Institutionen des Freizeitbereichs im Kanton Zürich im Bereich der Prävention von sexuellen Übergriffen bei Kindern und Jugendlichen im Freizeitbereich zu erfassen sowie den Bedarf an Präventionsangeboten zu erheben, wurden sowohl Sportvereine, Jugendverbände und Institutionen der offenen Kinder- und Jugendarbeit als auch Eltern von Kindern, die in diesen Freizeitinstitutionen Mitglied sind, in einer Online-Umfrage im Zeitraum von Februar – April 2021 befragt. Im vorliegenden Schlussbericht wird aufgezeigt, wie die Prävention sexualisierter Gewalt von Sportvereinen, Jugendverbänden und Institutionen der offenen Kinder- und Jugendarbeit allgemein eingeschätzt wird, welche Präventionsmassnahmen sie bereits umsetzen und in welchen Bereichen noch Unterstützungsbedarf zur besseren Umsetzung der Prävention sexualisierter Gewalt besteht. Der Bericht liefert zudem Hinweise, wie ein kantonales Präventionsangebot aus Sicht der Vereine, Verbände und Institutionen optimalerweise gestaltet sein sollte

A randomised controlled trial of a family-group cognitive-behavioural (FGCB) preventive intervention for the children of parents with depression: short-term effects on symptoms and possible mechanisms

OBJECTIVE Parental depression is one of the biggest risk factors for youth depression. This parallel randomized controlled trial evaluates the effectiveness of the German version of the family-group-cognitive-behavioral (FGCB) preventive intervention for children of depressed parents. METHODS Families with (i) a parent who has experienced depression and (ii) a healthy child aged 8-17~years (mean = 11.63; 53% female) were randomly allocated (blockwise; stratified by child age and parental depression) to the 12-session intervention (EG; n = 50) or no intervention (CG; usual care; n = 50). Self-reported (unblinded) outcomes were assessed immediately after the intervention (6~months). We hypothesized that CG children would show a greater increase in self-reported symptoms of depression (DIKJ) and internalising/externalising disorder (YSR/CBCL) over time compared to the EG. Intervention effects on secondary outcome variables emotion regulation (FEEL-KJ), attributional style (ASF-KJ), knowledge of depression and parenting style (ESI) were also expected. Study protocol (Belinda Platt, Pietsch, Krick, Oort, & Schulte-Körne, 2014) and trial registration (NCT02115880) reported elsewhere. RESULTS We found significant intervention effects on self-reported internalising (Formula: see text = 0.05) and externalising (Formula: see text = 0.08) symptoms but did not detect depressive symptoms or parent-reported psychopathology. Parental depression severity did not modify these effects. Both groups showed equally improved knowledge of depression (Formula: see text = 0.06). There were no intervention effects on emotion regulation, attributional style or parenting style. CONCLUSION The German version of the FGCB intervention is effective in reducing symptoms of general psychopathology. There was no evidence that the mechanisms targeted in the intervention changed within the intervention period

Protecting children and youth from sexual violence : prevention in out-of-school settings

Background: The Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was ratified in 1989, provides a clear normative foundation for the protection of children from violence, abuse and exploitation. However, despite efforts to protect children, many children and adolescents become victims of sexual violence. Representative studies such as the Optimus studies 2012 and 2018 (Schmid, 2018) show that sexual abuse is high in Switzerland, accounting for 15.2% of the primary forms of child welfare endangerment. Sports as well as youth and leisure clubs offer great potential for the prevention of sexual violence against children and adolescents. However, little is known about their current prevention practices and parents’ perspectives. Methods: To assess the competences and actual implementation of measures in the area of prevention of sexual violence against children and adolescents as well as the need for prevention services of institutions in the out-of-school sector of the canton of Zurich, an online-survey was conducted among representatives of sports clubs (n = 324), youth associations (n = 33), open child and youth work (n = 42) and parents of children and adolescents who are members of one of these clubs or associations (n = 580) between February 9th and April 13th 2021. Results: Sports clubs, youth associations, open child and youth work as well as parents consider the prevention of sexual violence to be a very relevant topic and participants rated their competences in finding, understanding, assessing and applying relevant information about this topic as rather high or high. However, the current implementation of prevention measures in the participating organizations shows that there is are still barriers to implementation, space for improvement in prevention work and a need for support in developing and implementing prevention measures among the organizations. Conclusions: The high degree of agreement in the assessments of the current situation and the postulated need for the prevention of sexual violence between the sports clubs, the youth associations and open child and youth work indicate a great potential for closer cooperation and synergies. In a next step, it should be clarified how improvements in prevention can be jointly developed and implemented

Ten recommendations to foster mental health in children : systematic development of information materials for parents and pediatricians

Introduction: Many mental disorders develop during childhood, with an estimated 10-20% of children affected, and they often persist into adulthood. As mental disorders are often recognized delayed or not at all, mental health promotion and the early detection of mental illness in childhood are relevant public health tasks. Pediatric practices are a particularly suitable setting for such efforts are as they do have regular and direct contact with most children. This project therefore aimed to develop materials to raise parents' awareness of children's mental health and provide specific suggestions for mental health promotion and screening for mental health problems. Methods: A systematic literature review in the field of mental health promotion, clinical psychology and positive psychology on life skills and resilience revealed several effective concepts. In a participatory process with psychiatrists and pediatricians, ten concepts were selected: self-esteem, self-efficacy, problem solving skills, optimism, emotion regulation, recreation, family climate, nature, offline-activities, and peer support. In a preliminary evaluation of parents' perspective on a parent-brochure, 74 parents of 6-12-year-old kids filled in two online-questionnaires on the perceived relevance and usefulness of the ten concepts and the respective behavioral suggestions; one right after learning about the recommendations and one four weeks later. Results: First analysis show that parents perceive the recommendations as highly relevant and useful at both measurement time points and that they integrated many of them in their everyday family life. Conclusions: Resource-oriented suggestions on the promotion of mental health in children seem to offer a non-stigmatizing way to address mental health topics in the pediatric practice. In a next step, we plan to field-test the evaluation and uptake of the accompanying information brochure by pediatricians

A randomized controlled trial of a preventive intervention for the children of parents with depression: mid-term effects, mediators and moderators

Abstract Background In a parallel randomized controlled trial the effectiveness of the family- and group-based cognitive-behavioural “Gug-Auf” intervention in preventing depression in children of depressed parents was evaluated. We hypothesized that the intervention would be associated with reduced incidence of depression at 15 months as well as with reduced symptom severity at 6, 9, and 15 months. We also explored the role of a number of mediators and moderators. Methods Families were included if a parent (n = 100, mean age = 46.06, 61% female) had experienced depression and children (n = 135, aged 8–17 years, 53% female) had no mental illness. Families (91.5% German) were randomly allocated (50:50 block-wise; stratified by child age and parental depression) to the 12-session “GuG-Auf” intervention or no intervention. Outcomes were assessed (on an intention-to-treat basis) at 0-(T1), 6-(T2), 9-(T3) and 15-months (T4) after baseline. Primary outcome (onset of depression; T4) was assessed with standardized (blinded) clinical interviews. Secondary (unblinded) outcome was risk of depression (at T2-T4) indicated by self- and parent-reported symptoms of internalizing, externalizing and depressive disorder. Potential mediators were emotion regulation, attributional style, knowledge of depression and parenting style. Potential moderators were parental depression severity and negative life events. Results None of the children who received the intervention developed depression, whereas two of those in the control group did. The intervention significantly reduced depression risk (indicated by severity of self-reported internalizing symptoms) at T3 (p = .027, d = -0.45) and T4 (p = .035, d = -0.44). Both groups showed reduced depressive symptoms (p = .029, d = -0.44). Cognitive problem-solving and negative parenting emerged as mediators. There was no evidence that the intervention was associated with parent-reported internalizing symptoms or externalizing symptoms. No adverse events were observed. Conclusions Children of parents with depression showed an increase in self-reported (but not parent-reported) internalizing symptoms over time. This increase was not present in children who received the GuG-Auf intervention. The intervention was not associated with changes in externalizing symptoms. Conclusions regarding prevention of the onset of depression were not possible. Despite some limitations in the generalizability, these findings contribute to reducing the burden of youth depression. Registration The trial was registered on 16/04/2014 at ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT02115880 ) and study protocol published in BMC Psychiatry ( https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-014-0263-2 )