Child Safeguarding in Coordination of Education and other Clusters

Child safeguarding is a major priority for all humanitarian sectors. Children come into contact with humanitarian workers at project locations, such as schools and learning spaces, clinics, nutrition centres, child friendly spaces, and may experience abuse. 
Child safeguarding is a particular priority for the education sector because there is a high level of contact with children in vulnerable situations.

Why do the impacts of child safeguarding violations affect the whole sector?

When personnel of humanitarian organizations commit any act of abuse, especially sexual exploitation and sexual abuse (SEA), against the children who are meant to receive quality and protective education and other forms of assistance, the values and principles of humanitarians are betrayed. Child safeguarding misconduct, and in particular sexual exploitation and sexual abuse (SEA), is a grave violation of humanitarian principles and a child rights violation. Abuse is one of the most basic failures of accountability to the people whom the aid system is supposed to serve and protect.
Because of this, child safeguarding violations committed by personnel of any organization undermine the trust and credibility of the entire sector.

A system-wide response

Because child safeguarding violations undermine the credibility of the entire sector, and because the ability of humanitarian organizations to prevent abuse and exploitation across their operations has been the subject of intense media and political scrutiny, it is clear that child safeguarding is not an issue for individual organizations to tackle alone.