The effectiveness of a short-term training program on child protection among Sri Lankan police officers
| Published date | 01 September 2015 |
| Author | Piyanjali de Zoysa,Buddhiprabha Pathirana |
| Date | 01 September 2015 |
| DOI | 10.1177/1461355715596507 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Article
International Journal of
Police Science & Management
The effectiveness of a short-term
2015, Vol. 17(3) 189–193
ª The Author(s) 2015
training program on child protection
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among Sri Lankan police officers
DOI: 10.1177/1461355715596507
psm.sagepub.com
Buddhiprabha Pathirana
Department of Philosophy and Psychology, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
Piyanjali de Zoysa
Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka
Abstract
Child abuse is a complex problem. It is sensitive in nature and requires a comprehensive police investigation.
Police officers are at the forefront of this issue and hence it is important that they have optimal skills when
investigating cases of suspected child abuse. This article evaluates the effectiveness of a short-term, 6-hour,
child protection training provided to 39 Sri Lankan police officers (37 female). The effectiveness of the
program was assessed using a scale at pre- and post-program. The results indicated that the training
significantly increased participants’ knowledge on aspects of child abuse. However, the program did not
significantly affect their attitudes about child abuse or their perceived skill in managing cases of abuse.
Qualitative feedback from the participants and their superior officers, obtained during a group discussion,
indicated that the training had been effective and the learning outcomes had been achieved. This article makes
recommendations for improving the child protection services in middle-income countries such as Sri Lanka, in terms
of multiphasic and comprehensive training for police officers.
Keywords
Child protection, police training, Sri Lanka, attitudinal change
Submitted 22 Apr 2015, accepted 26 Jun 2015
Introduction
The management of alleged cases of child abuse by
The impact of child abuse
the Sri Lankan police
In Sri Lanka, an incident of child abuse should be reported
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that glob-
to a Children and Women Bureau Desk (CWD; De Silva
ally, a large number of children become victims and wit-
and Punchihewa, 2010; Sri Lankan Police, 2013), a service
nesses of physical, sexual and emotional abuse (WHO,
located within some police stations in Sri Lanka. At pres-
2006). It is now well established that the impact of these
ent, there are 36 CWDs (Sri Lankan Police, 2013). When
various types of child maltreatment is severe and that
an incident of physical, sexual and/or emotional child abuse
maltreatment is associated with a serious impact on the
is reported, it is mandatory that a forensic assessment of the
child’ psychosocial well-being and life-span development
(De Silva, 2003; De Zoysa et al., 2008; Krug et al.,
2002). Hence, the WHO (2006) indicates that the physi-
Corresponding author:
cal, psychological and social associations of child mal-
Piyanjali de Zoysa, Department of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of
treatment are more wide-ranging than death and injury
Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.
alone.
Email: ptdz@sltnet.lk
190
International Journal of Police Science & Management 17(3)
child is conducted, especially if the case has a probability
Method
of being taken to court (UNICEF, 2006). At times, when
conducting these forensic assessments, the authors have
Participants
observed something of a conflict between addressing the
Thirty-nine police officers (37 female) in charge of CWDs
needs of the alleged child victim and collecting evidence
in Sri Lanka, with diverse backgrounds in terms of geogra-
for the impending police inquiry. For instance, a lack of
phical location, rank, education and policing experience,
empathy towards the child while being more focused on
took part in this study. They were selected for this program
obtaining the facts of the incident. CWDs share most of the
by the headquarters of the Sri Lankan Police.
limitations inherent in regular Sri Lankan police stations:
problems with limited space, trained staff and funds. Very
few police stations have child-friendly spaces (UNICEF,
Procedure
2006), or places of privacy where children feel comfortable
Prior to conducting the training, key program content areas
talking to police officers. It has also been reported that chil-
were established in consultation with participants, officers
dren are reluctant to speak with police officers in uniforms
at the Sri Lanka Police and the funding agency. Some of
(De Silva and Punchihewa, 2010).
these were: normative life-span development in childhood
Moreover, there have been incidents of children experi-
and adolescence, psychopathology associated with abuse
encing abuse (especially those who are considered to be
and key aspects of forensic interviews.
...
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