In the process of building on the interaction with the Association "Child and Space", the Local Commission for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings (LCCTHB), Sliven coordinates the inclusion of 39 experts from Sliven Region in a webinar "Time for action" - Parental alienation, effective communication with parents, moderated by Dr. Vesela Banova, Psychoanalyst and Chairman of the Association "Child and Space" and lecturers: Mrs. Liz Air, Chairperson of the Pan-European Network of Children of Prisoners in Europe /SORE/ and psychologists Mrs. Daniela Gradeva and Mrs. Donika Borimechkova.
The event presented a Council of Europe recommendation in support of children of parents serving a custodial sentence, as well as a 'Time for Action' handbook. Emphasis has been placed on issues related to parental alienation and the need to work actively with parents, with a focus on effective communication between parents, specialists and children.
The online training took place on the 10th of June 2021 and was attended by 39 experts from Sliven Province – social workers and psychologists from the Child Protection Department at the Social Assistance Directorate, Family-type accommodation centers for children without disabilities, family-type accommodation centers for children and young people with disabilities and the Center for Social Rehabilitation and Integration and Blue Room, as well as pedagogical advisers, educational mediators, resource teachers and school psychologists from general education schools. Specialists from Sliven, Nova Zagora, Kotel, Blatec, Karanovo, Sotiyya, Samuilovo, Krusare, Topolčane, Sulievo, Seliminovo, Stelski, Konyovo and Zlati Voivode were covered.
According to the latest figures, children continue to make up a significant number of trafficking victims in the European Union. The majority of child victims were girls, EU citizens, with the aim of trafficking being mainly sexual exploitation.
The most common reasons for falling into human trafficking schemes for sexual exploitation are the lack of a stable family environment and poverty, which deprive them of home and education and limit their normal development.
Active work towards reducing parental alienation and promoting full-fledged parental care and support are one of the foundations for countering and preventing child trafficking.