Children First

Gender-based violence is a widespread problem.  While policy and literature on the issue are slowly growing, “dating violence” amongst children and teenagers remains largely under-researched and unaddressed.

Aim: Children First represents a shared effort to educate school children (aged 12-18) in order to prevent and address dating violence from an early age by undermining gender stereotypes, norms and roles that are the main causes of dating violence.

Children First adopts three main approaches:

1. Bottom-up approach: we start from the views of children and young people and understand how they perceive violence in their relationships;
2. User-led approach: in this project, children come first. Children and young people are consultants in the project, as members of the youth-led Advisory Board, which proactively communicates and engages with other young people for the creation and delivery of awareness-raising campaigns, and engages with the staff of the project to create the main tools and content.
3. Children First supports the principle of non-discrimination, of equality between women and men, and the rights of the child. Gender balance is sought in all project activities, no one is discriminated against, and diversity of gender identity and sexual orientation is encouraged. Gender stereotypes and gender roles are undermined and rejected, and principles of equality and inclusion for all are embedded in the whole project.