During the conference on Family Protection and violence against children and women the Family Protection Department announced its plan to set up a regional training center in the Kingdom that would guide and strengthen other countries responses towards domestic abuse. I think this is a very positive outcome of the conference and our cooperation. Creating centers of excellence and disseminating best practices is a very constructive way of helping reducing violence in the family.
In an article in Jordan Times today the head of the Family Protection Department Colonel Zu’bi had the opportunity to explain how the FDP carry out its duties and evaluating the impact of their efforts. I think it is impressive. The statistical numbers suggest that a taboo is under way to be broken. Many more women and children are requesting the assistance of the FPD. It seems that the FDP have gained the trust of victims and potential victims. This is a very important step in reducing violence in the Family. I am proud that Jordan is offering her experience to other countries in this regard.
I have reproduced the article from Jordan Times in full because I think Colonel Zu’bi’s description of the working methods of the FPD is worth a read.
One point though. The article also mentions the disgusting phenomenon of child pornography on the Internet. Save the Children Denmark held a seminar on this issue in order to create awareness among local law enforcement, but apparently this is not – yet – considered a problem in the region. In my opinion it might be a bigger problem elsewhere – in a concerted effort Europe have been breaking up child pornography networks in the past years – but to say it is not an issue is probably to disregard the widespread use of computers also in the Arab world to surf for various kinds of porn.
Here is the article:
Proposed training centre to guide, strengthen regional countries’ responses towards domestic abuse
By Dalya Dajani
AMMAN – The Kingdom plans to establish a regional training centre that would guide and strengthen other countries responses towards domestic abuse, a senior Family Protection Department (FPD) official said on Tuesday.
Colonel Mohammad Zu’bi, head of the FPD, told participants at the second regional conference on family protection from violence that the centre, to be launched next year, would be based on Jordan’s own 10-year experience in dealing with the problem.
“When the FPD first began its mission, most of the staff were uneasy and didn’t quite know how to approach the issue as they were fully aware of the cultural sensitivities involved,” said Zu’bi.
“However, it has been 10 years and the growth of the department’s experience and expertise, together with the support of other partner agencies, helped us overcome many challenges and we believe we can help others on that track,” he added.
The FPD yesterday screened a short film about its operations for conference participants who include police officers and child protection experts from 28 Arab countries.
FPD officials explained how the agency works closely with a range of governmental and nongovernmental partners to ensure that child and domestic abuse cases are handled appropriately, privately and with the least amount of stress to the victims.
Zu’bi said growing public awareness about the FPD had helped encourage thousands of child and domestic abuse victims to come forward, with 3,000 cases reported in 2007 compared to 300 in 1997.
The awareness efforts were supported by the print and broadcast media and extended to public and private schools and universities.
The FPD official said the public’s trust and confidence in the agency is a key factor behind its work in providing victims with assistance.
As part of its operations, the FPD responds to all reports or calls claiming or suspecting domestic or child abuse. It also has a hotline that does not have a phone number tracking device to ensure the privacy of callers, according to Zu’bi.
He noted that as a law enforcement agency, the FPD thoroughly investigates all claims before reaching a verdict.
“We examine each case and establish whether there is any truth to the claim and depending on the nature of the case, we try and help resolve some cases amicably while serious cases are referred to court,” Zu’bi said.
“However, women and children who clearly need protection are dealt with accordingly and placed in protective care,” he added.
The FPD official noted that they received 1,944 cases in the first nine months of this year, 1,200 of which were handled by social workers at the agency, while 500 were referred to court and 244 referred for administrative action by governors.
Zu’bi said they had also visited the Family Justice Centre in the US earlier this year to examine their experience, adding that the FPD was looking into establishing a similar centre in Jordan in the future with the partnership of the Jordan River Foundation and the Ministry of Social Development.
Two sessions scheduled on the conference agenda yesterday, the Arab League’s role in combating domestic abuse and a survey on mobile phone and the Internet use by Jordanian children, were not held.
Last year, Save the Children Denmark held a five-day training seminar for local law enforcement authorities on Internet-related sexual crimes against children.
Although the Kingdom does not suffer from such forms of child exploitation, the training was designed to enhance the PSD’s preparedness to address such issues should they arise.
The Internet, while a useful source of knowledge, education and recreation for millions of people, has also become an easy tool for criminal activity against children.
Millions of youngsters around the world are exploited online annually by sexual predators working from the privacy of their homes or organised networks and through the distribution of child pornography.
Child protection experts have noted their concerns about the growth of mobile and Internet access among children over recent years and the potential risks to which they are exposed. Some of these concerns include children’s exposure to age-inappropriate material that could shock or confuse them.
22 October 2008
October 22, 2008 at 14:12
I think the myth of ‘no child porn prob in Jordan yet’ will be debunked soon. Exposing children to child-porn is a common method of grooming a victim for abuse.
Six years ago, others said there was no on-line porn in Jordan when the JRF leaders were calling for attention into how it is affecting child sexual abuse rates locally. An informal statistic cited 95% of abusers admitted to using porn. That doesn’t mean all viewers of porn become abusers, but the connection is significant.
Continued kudos, Mr. Ambassador!
October 22, 2008 at 19:19
it is good work but it feels like a job that is akin to pushing molasses up a sandy hill. woman and child abuse are like dark elements operating in the most complex social weaves of this society. unraveling that problem is also an attempt to break an intrinsic part of this culture that unfortunately favors male domination over all else. the same domination that condones domestic abuse.