New System to Monitor Violence Against Children

Family and Social Policies Minister Fatma Şahin introduced a new monitoring system to prevent and eliminate the risks and danger of violence against children, CNNTurk reported on Tuesday.

"It is basically like preventive medicine. We will take all precautions to prevent violence from actually happening. We see this new system in line with our previous policies related to family counseling," Minister Şahin said.

Şahin also mentioned of a ministry database providing information for children's educational background and families' socio-economic status.

Every family to have a counselor

Şahin provided further details on the prevention system: "Our new project envisions that every family will be assigned to a counselor who will monitor violence against their children and take measures to prevent it from happening."

Şahin listed most common factors leading to violence as divided families, immigration, lack of education and existing violence towards other members of the family.

"We will not take these factors as granted though," Şahin continued, "Our counselors will analyze every case with great care."

Foster care and rehabilitation

Şahin also introduced new measures on foster care and rehabilitation for children who became subject to violence.

"We are designing a new rehabilitation model which will separate perpetrators from victims, with children rehabilitated in care groups according to their age and gender."

Şahin said the ministry found 8,000 foster care homes so far and had the objective to find a foster care for every single child in need by 2014. (YY)