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Child Protection Policy

APLE is committed to the safety and protection of children from all forms of abuse and exploitation.

Policy Overview

  • APLE is committed to the safety and protection of children from all forms of abuse and exploitation.
  • This policy outlines a risk management approach for prevention and provides clear guidelines for responding to child abuse situations and managing complaints involving APLE Representatives.
  • It operates in conjunction with Cambodian law and adheres to international standards.

Aim and Guiding Principles

Aim: To declare APLE’s commitment, establish a risk management approach, provide a code of behaviour, determine reporting procedures, and protect staff from unfair allegations.

Guiding Principles (UN Convention on the Rights of the Child):

  • All children have equal rights to protection from physical and mental violence, neglect, maltreatment, abuse, and exploitation, including sexual abuse.
  • All decisions and actions must carefully consider the best interests of the child.
  • The Duty Bearers are accountable to prevent and respond to child abuse.

Scope

This Policy applies to:

  • All APLE staff, volunteers, interns, Board of Directors (APLE Representatives).
  • Consultants and independent contractors (Duty Bearers).
  • All persons under the age of eighteen years who have contact with APLE personnel and/or involvement in APLE programs (Right Holders).
  • Partner organizations.
  • Government officials who have regular contact with APLE programs.
  • Visitors including friends, supporters, journalists, and donors.

Definitions

  • Child: A human being below the age of eighteen years.
  • Child Protection: Any action taken to prevent or stop all behaviours considered dangerous, harmful, or illegal for the physical and psychological health of children.
  • Child Abuse: Physical, sexual, emotional abuse, or neglect of a child resulting in actual or potential harm to the child’s health, survival, development, or dignity in the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust, or power.
  • Physical abuse: Attempts or causes bodily harm (e.g., slapping, shaking).
  • Sexual abuse: A person in a position of responsibility, trust, or power uses children to meet their own sexual urges (e.g., exposure to pornography, inappropriate touching).
  • Emotional abuse: Any action that has a negative effect on the social, intellectual, or emotional development of the child (e.g., name-calling, belittling, isolating).
  • Neglect: Failure to provide the child with basic needs to an extent that is likely to result in serious impact on the child’s health or development (e.g., failing to provide adequate food, shelter, medical care).

Recruitment and Selection

Job Hiring

  • The promotion of a child-safe commitment must be prominent in all job advertisements.

Criminal Record and Background Check

  • Comprehensive and child-safe recruitment and screening processes must be followed for all vacant positions.
  • Satisfactory criminal checks are a condition of employment to prevent or minimise risk.
  • Applicants are required to present a criminal record and background check in either Khmer or English.

References Check

  • At least two written references and two verbal attestations from other referees are required, with one verbal referee being the applicant’s most recent manager.
  • APLE reserves the right not to hire an applicant deemed unsuitable to work with children.

Consent with Child Protection Policy

  • Successful applicants must read this policy and sign a declaration (Annex 1) to acknowledge their understanding and expected standard of behaviour.
  • All employment contracts must outline APLE’s right to impose disciplinary action, dismissal, or transfer for any breach of this policy.
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Code of Behaviour

Acceptable Behaviours (Including, but not limited to):

  • Treat all children with dignity and respect.
  • Conduct myself in a manner appropriate to my position and consistent with APLE’s values.
  • Listen to children and encourage them to be engaged in decisions that may affect them.
  • Immediately raise concerns regarding child safety or wellbeing in accordance with Chapter 7.
  • Wherever possible, be visible when working with children or ensure another adult is present.

Unacceptable Behaviours (Including, but not limited to):

  • Condone or participate in behaviours involving children that are illegal, unsafe, or abusive.
  • Engage children in any activity that is demeaning, offensive, sexually provocative, abusive, culturally inappropriate, or insensitive.
  • Exclude or favour a particular child.
  • Do things of a personal nature that a child can do for him/herself, such as assistance with toileting or changing clothes (with exceptions for Investigator or Social Worker in exceptional circumstances).
  • Seek to make contact or spend time alone with a child client outside of work-related requirements.

Photo Policy for Using Children's Images

For Police Investigations: Representatives are permitted to take photographs of children without consent for evidence gathering only, and these must not be publicized.

For All Other Work Purposes:

  • Obtain informed consent from the child or a parent/guardian to take a picture and use it in a specific context.
  • Ensure children are portrayed in a dignified and respectful manner.
  • Ensure file labels and public images do not reveal identifying information about a child and his/her location.

Confidentiality

  • All APLE Representatives must adhere to a high standard of confidentiality regarding information acquired in connection with APLE operations.
  • Information about child clients is confidential and cannot be communicated outside their work environment or in any place where the public could overhear.
  • Case-related information may be discussed with partner NGOs in accordance with signed Memorandums of Understanding.
  • Representatives must not communicate about allegations against an APLE Representative outside the formal investigation process.

Guidelines on Reporting and Responding to Child Abuse Allegations

Reporting Procedure

  • Mandatory Duty to Report: All APLE Representatives, children, families, public, community members, and NGO partners have a duty to report allegations, suspicions, disclosures, or observations of child abuse immediately.
  • Allegations against an APLE representative must be directed to the Child Protection Officer (CPO) for an initial investigation.
  • The CPO reports facts to the Executive Director (ED), who then decides the next course of action (internal or independent investigation).

Procedure after Report

  • Immediate action must be taken to protect the child.
  • The accused Representative must be informed in writing within 24 hours by the CPO and suspended from active duties during the investigation.
  • Mandatory Referral to Police (if any of the following are present):
  • A direct disclosure from a child in relation to abuse.
  • A first-hand witness account of child abuse.
  • Injury or behaviour that indicates abuse and is unlikely to be caused in any other way.
  • Consistent indication over time that a child is suffering from emotional or physical neglect.
  • If allegations are not proven and the charges are considered malicious, APLE will be responsible for the accused’s legal costs.

Outcome of the Investigation

  • If serious misconduct or abuse is proven, the person will be dismissed from work.
  • If misconduct is not proven, the Executive Director must determine whether or not to maintain this person in his/her current position.
  • The Executive Director reserves the right to disclose information relating to the allegations to law enforcement or prospective employers when such disclosure may assist in an investigation or the prevention of future abuse.
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Conflict of Interest

  • APLE recognizes that allegations against Representatives will always be a conflict of interest.
  • APLE must act transparently by providing information about the allegation to a qualified third party, such as police, for an independent investigation.
  • APLE Representatives must avoid handling cases in which there is a real or apparent conflict of interest.

Monitoring and Implementation of Policy

  • The Child Protection Officer (CPO) is responsible for monitoring implementation and acting as a primary contact for breach concerns.
  • The CPO is appointed as an in-house trainer and should provide a series of regular trainings to APLE Representatives.
  • APLE must conduct a child protection risk assessment on every new and emerging program, project, and service.

The full policy

Request a copy

Send us an email to request a copy of the full child protection policy.

info@aplecambodia.org