Healthcare workers in Sharjah are undergoing training to bolster the support offered by the medical profession to child victims of violence and abuse.
Sessions provided by Kanaf, a multi-agency child protection centre opened last month, aim to equip doctors, nurses and other staff members with the skills to help young patients open up about their ordeals so that safeguarding measures can be put in place.
The first of three stages of training involved teaching healthcare workers how to ask the right questions to coax sensitive information out of children, who in some cases will have been hurt by family members or other people known to them.
They were trained to ask Socratic questions, typically used by therapists and counsellors, which are open-ended queries designed to elicit natural responses rather than rehearsed answers to help get to the root of any potential issue.
The method is named after Greek philosopher Socrates and seeks to stimulate deep thinking and emotional exploration.
“Participants were introduced to the technique and were engaged in role-playing exercises involving a simulated interaction among a mother, a child, and a doctor," said Dr Bana Bouzaboon, mental health director at Kanaf, who led the presentation, which was held in partnership with Sharjah's Child Safety Department.
“This would provide a hands-on experience demonstrating how these questioning techniques can be effectively used in sensitive situations involving child victims of abuse.
“Socratic questions ... allow the child to use their thoughts, feelings, and experiences in their responses.”
She said the technique can be a crucial tool in uncovering cases of child abuse.
"Socratic questioning steers away from the conventional when/what/who and why questions that may elicit rehearsed responses, potentially crafted by individuals involved in the incident to evade legal scrutiny,” Dr Bouzaboon said.
She outlined a scenario in which a child who arrives at a hospital with a broken arm is directly asked, "Who did this to you?" which often results in a practised response.
“By reframing the question to something more open-ended, such as ‘Can you share with me about your day or what happened today?’ encourages the child to express their own thoughts and feelings in their own words,” she said.
“This approach might lead to a more candid revelation, such as, ‘During lunch, I accidentally dropped the spoon, which upset my father, and then he hit me'.”
Fifty doctors, nurses and administrative staff from Al Qasimi Women’s and Children’s Hospital took part in the opening workshop.
It covered counselling, guidance and how to recognise signs of child abuse.
Participants were encouraged to give children the opportunity to express themselves, focusing on attentive listening, understanding conveyed emotions, and recognising non-verbal cues.
They were told about the importance of patience, calmness and interactive engagement, and were advised against pressuring or rushing the child.
The workshop also explored the stages of child protection: listening to the child; empathising without judgment; inquiring about their needs, fears, and concerns; responding appropriately; understanding and believing the child; promoting their safety; and collaboratively devising plans for self-protection.
It emphasised providing comprehensive support to the child, assisting them in accessing information, services, and social support.
Dr Bouzaboon thanked the hospital's director, Safiya Alkhajeh, for her commitment to the initiative.
Ameena Al Refaei, the director of Kanaf, underlined the importance of tackling all forms of abuse against children.
"Kanaf's start has brought unprecedented co-operation across Sharjah, showing our commitment to human development and childhood care and contributing to the advancement of Sharjah and its society.”
She said the upcoming workshop in January and will train doctors on how to write initial forensic reports for child abuse cases presented to courts and prosecution departments.
A lifeline for young victims
The Kanaf child protection centre deals with cases involving children and teenagers up to the age of 18.
A dedicated team including members from the police, prosecution, social services, education regulator, healthcare and child safety departments collaborate closely to ensure the welfare of children involved in reported cases.
The centre's staff includes mental health consultants, co-ordinators and child care specialists.
In May, it launched a 300-hour training programme for psychologists, social workers and investigators in the emirate to help them handle cases involving children who are victims of violence or sexual assault.
Earlier this year, The National reported on a surge in the number of reported child abuse cases in Sharjah in 2022.
The Sharjah Child and Family Protection Centre said it had handled 3,487 reports from families, schools and children, up from 2,168 in 2021.
