During March and April staff observed a drop off in children using the service as many homeless youths were infected with Covid. The Hub provided access to free ATK tests for those children suspected of having an infection. Between January and June, 39 regular service users recorded positive tests. One reason for this is a low vaccination rate- the Hub’s research showed that only 30% of children they gave assistance to had been vaccinated. The main reason being that youths were unable to access register for the vaccine due to technology and paperwork problems.

Children in street situations often have no way to isolate themselves, or don’t have enough money for effective prevention or treatments, resulting in outbreaks amongst the homeless population. The Hub helped to mitigate this situation by distributing an average of 45 Covid-19 Survival Bags per month and additional consumables, ATK tests, masks, medicines and health and financial assistance.

In the first half of 2022, children mostly used three services at the Hub: Daily meals, education and registration for classes/exams, and participating in life skills development activities. The Hub also provides career support for children who have committed to a full-time job by giving small grants between 1500-4000 baht per month to improve their living situation.

The Hub staff have observed that sexual exploitation has shifted online, often in exchange for drugs and accommodation. The Hub and related agencies are constantly trying to help resolve this serious issue and encourage youths to take a different path. This isn’t easy as the gangs exploiting the children offer lucrative promises.

The Hub relies on donations to continue its work providing harm reduction for homeless children. We have recently launched a GlobalGiving campaign to give direct support to 200 youths who use our services. Please help to keep the Hub running and donate here https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/support-for-200-homeless-youths-in-bangkok/

The post Update from the Hub July 2022 appeared first on Childline Thailand.

Corporal punishment is a method of physical discipline intended to cause pain to a person. When it’s inflicted on minors, especially in home and school settings, its methods may include spanking or caning.

Corporal punishment or violent discipline by caregivers is the most common form of violence against children. Worldwide, 4 out of 5 children aged 2 to 14 are affected by corporal punishment. This happens in many basic settings – at home, in the classroom, in childcare, and in juvenile detention centres. And today, 86% of children in the world are not legally protected from this practice.

While corporal punishment can lead to immediate obedience, researchers have found that the behavioural changes may only be short-term. Studies consistently show that corporal punishment is ineffective in the long run and may even cause behaviour problems to worsen over time.

For example, hitting children reinforces aggressive behaviour. A variety of research studies have found that children who are hit are more likely to hit other people. The reason is simple. Physical punishment models aggressive behaviour, which teaches children to use violence to solve problems. It can also lead to bullying, dating violence, and other problem behaviours that involve having power over others.

Spanking and other physical punishment damage the relationship between children and their parents or caregivers. Here are some reasons why corporal punishment shouldn’t be tolerated by any society: 

• It is a form of child abuse
• It can increase aggression
• Antisocial behaviour
• Physical injury
• Mental health issues
• Poor educational outcomes
• Perpetration of violence 
• Lack of acceptance by peers 
• Depression Disorder 
• Psychological Damage 

If you’ve been affected by any of the issues in this article, or would like to learn more about corporal punishment in Thailand please email info@childlinethailand.org or contact us via social media https://www.facebook.com/childlinethailand https://twitter.com/saidek1387

The post What is Corporal Punishment? appeared first on Childline Thailand.

Cyber Risks, for example, received a score of 3 out of a possible 100. This category included Cyber Threats, a measure that “exposes risks such as phishing or hacking based on a percentage of children and adolescents who experienced cyber threats”.

Childline Thailand director Ilya Smirnoff said “The 2020 COSI report is very concerning, right now children in Thailand are experiencing an online pandemic and are at a high risk from cyber threats. Childline Thailand are working on projects to educate youths about online safety but the scale of the problem is vast”

The research was conducted by international think-tank The DQ Institute and the data it publishes is a real-time measure for each country’s child online safety. COSI will be automatically updated as the countries progress with their child online safety and digital citizenship initiatives and the results help to identify priorities for improvement. According to Dr Yuhyun Park, Founder of the DQ Institute “The Child Online Safety Index should serve as a wakeup call to everyone about the safety of the world’s children online.” 

All of us have a responsibility use technology responsibly and protect our children. The COSI report should be a catalyst for change.

The post Child Online Safety Concerns appeared first on Childline Thailand.