Presentation

Violence against children can take up many forms. Colourful Childhoods (C-Child) aims at preventing and combating all forms of violence against LGBTIQ children in vulnerable contexts related to the Covid-19 pandemic. The negative effects of the Covid-19 pandemic can be particularly hard for LGBTIQ children in vulnerable contexts, whose specific needs regarding gender-based violence can be overlooked in the current climate of social and economic crisis.
Funded by the European Commission (CERV-2021-DAPHNE) between 2022 and 2024, C-Child involves 6 European countries: Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal and Spain. It is informed by a child-centred perspective with an intersectional approach, through a mix of interdisciplinary and participatory methodologies. The study is divided in four stages. Stage 1 consists of a needs assessment of violence and well-being of LGBTIQ children in each country. It involves focus groups with children, interviews to professionals and organizations, and a survey. Stage 2 includes workshops with children focused on their experiences of services providers and professionals, after which guidelines and a training curriculum for professionals will be elaborated. During Stage 3, an expected number of 400 professionals will receive training and 200 more will benefit from a new module added to the Diversity and Childhood Massive Open Online Course. Finally, Stage 4 is dedicated to dissemination and communication, with a variety of outputs and initiatives aimed at raising awareness and trigger action to prevent and combat violence against LGBTIQ children in vulnerable contexts.