Updates from the Albanian Safer Internet Day Committee

The Children's Human Rights Centre of Albania (CRCA) – the Safer Internet Day Committee in Albania – has recently opened two new structures to encourage young Albanians to participate in the political process, and to protect children and adolescents victims of sexual violence.

Date 2019-11-06 Author Albania Safer Internet Day Committee - The Children's Human Rights Centre of Albania (CRCA) Section awareness, hotlines, sid, youth

Opening of the National Youth Resource Centre in Albania

On Wednesday, 6 November 2019, the National Youth Resource Centre in Albania (YRCA), a new joint service of the CRCA/ECPAT Albania, the Albanian National Youth Network (ANYN) and the Coalition for Education, hosts an event where the Second National Report "Youth in Albania 2019" will be presented, and the YRCA will be introduced.

The National Report "Youth in Albania 2019" was drafted in cooperation and consultation with more than 100 youth civil society organisations and groups from all 12 regions of Albania. The conference is one of the largest events in Albania discussing the situation of youth and their issues of concern. For the first time this year, the report will share new information on young people's perceptions of political parties, institutional support and the political processes in Albania.

An important part of the event will be the official introduction of the National Youth Resource Centre in Albania – a long-term goal set by CRCA Albania in the early 1990s that has finally been finalised. YRCA's aim is to support and strengthen youth movements and young people through information, training, mentoring and coaching on decision-making processes, youth public policies, civil society organisations' role, youth rights, mobilisation, activism and youth work.

Establishment of a child and youth advocacy centre in Tirana

In October 2019, CRCA/ECPAT Albania officially launched the Albanian Child and Youth Advocacy Centre (ACA) as an environment that brings together social care, counselling and legal protection for children and adolescents who have survived sexual violence.

Altin Hazizaj, Executive Director of CRCA/ECPAT Albania, said: "Today we are achieving a new milestone towards new services that protect children and young people from sexual violence. The opening of the Child and Youth Advocacy Centre is just the beginning of a comprehensive transformation of the system and the construction of a new model of care for every victim of sexual abuse in Albania."

According to the largest study on violence against children in Europe (BECAN), 11 per cent of children in Albania are victims of violence and sexual harassment, while INSTAT National Survey "Violence against Women and Girls in Albania" reported that about 15 per cent of girls aged 18-24 are currently experiencing some form of sexual violence. The Economist Intelligence UNIT, "Out of Shadows" Global Index, in its analysis of over 40 countries around the world, gave Albania a negative review due to the lack of child protection mechanisms against sexual exploitation and violence.

To date, there are no centres in Albania that provide multi-disciplinary and integrated services for children and youth victims of sexual violence. Studies and experience in many countries have shown that when children and adolescents victim of sexual violence are interviewed several times and by different institutions, they reexperience their trauma, causing serious consequences on their mental and physical health.

Part of the Albanian National Child and Youth Advocacy Centre (ACA) work is to inform, raise awareness, advise, support, refer and report any case of child and youth violence. The services will be provided also in coordination with the Free Legal Aid Office for Vulnerable Children and Youth in Albania (FLA), ALO 116-111: Albanian National Child Helpline, and the National Platform for Safer Internet, in close cooperation with the Child Protection Services, social services, Education, Health, Police and the Justice system.

ACA also will support all professionals of child protection, law enforcement and justice with trainings, exchanges and mentoring, while building education programmes for the public on sexual violence, recognising its consequences and where to report.

The Albanian National Child and Youth Advocacy Centre (ACA) is part of the initiative "Protect Children and Youth from Sexual Violence in Albania". For 23 years, the CRACA has established some of the most indispensable child and youth protection services, and since 2011 has been licensed to provide specialised services at community and national level.

For more information, please contact Altin Haziza from the National Safer Internet Centre/CRCA Albania and see the Safer Internet Day Committee profile page for Albania on the Safer Internet Day website.

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