“The Goal is to Help”: “Remote Counseling for OSAEC Victims and Survivors” Webinar Opens SDRC’s 42nd Anniversary
When it comes to the subject of online sexual abuse and exploitation of children, the thought of celebration hardly seems appropriate. In fact, the incidence of cybercriminals preying upon vulnerable youth—with cyber tips increasing by 264% at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, according to Department of Justice data—has long been cause for concern, more so as families continue to be forced to stay indoors.
However, good news was certainly a part of the opening event for SDRC’s 42nd Anniversary week, evident in Dr. Maria Caridad Tarroja’s presentation of her team’s study entitled “Development of Remote Counseling Protocols for OSAEC Victims/Survivors” on Easter Monday, April 5, 2021. Noting how it corresponded with the anniversary theme of “Seeing Solutions in Remote Possibilities,” she explained that the project sought to identify effective psychosocial interventions for OSAEC victims/survivors, available platforms for remote counseling that can be accessed by this group, and factors to be considered in developing a remote counseling protocol for this group in the Philippines, as well as to determine how remote counseling would work for OSAEC victims/survivors.
Working with a team composed of co-investigators Maria Araceli Alcala, Patricia Simon and Agnes Villegas, project consultant Maria Christina Salud H. Enriquez, and administrative assistant Gelivic Bacalso, in consortium with the Australian government initiative SaferKidsPH and SDRC partner organization The Asia Foundation, Dr. Tarroja laid out the project’s premise that the use of technology for psychotherapy and counseling services has increased due to the community quarantine measures being implemented nationwide. In particular, vulnerable populations such as OSAEC victims continue to need psychological support in the midst of the health crisis. By reviewing relevant literature on the victimization experience as well as the various psychological interventions for OSAEC survivors, interviewing key informants (composed of OSAEC survivors, non-offending family members, social workers, mental health professionals, government and non-government referrers, and experts in telehealth and data privacy), and conducing a small-scale online survey with mental health professionals, the team was able to begin the task of developing an evidence-based remote counseling protocol.
The project is being carried out in two phases, Phase 1 involving the development of the remote counseling protocol, and Phase 2—currently ongoing—being the pilot study of the remote counseling protocol. The pilot study has to do with developing modules for the protocol, defining the role of stakeholders, and identifying capacity building activities for the survivors, families, and stakeholders.
Practitioners from the counseling profession and graduate students who participated in the webinar via Zoom and Facebook Live were eager to learn more about the remote counseling protocol. In the open forum they asked about:
- the difference between OSEC (Online Sexual Exploitation of Children, where the primary condition is the exploitation) and OSAEC (having an abuse component);
- whether a child could still avail of counseling without access to the platform (this is no possible during the pilot-testing stage, but if the protocol is successful, partnerships with other organizations can be looked into so that remote counseling can be made accessible to as many individuals as possible);
- what can be done to persuade parents to consent to their children undergoing counseling (attempts can be made to try and present the benefits of counseling and the help social workers can provide, but abiding by the guiding principles of trauma informed care, parents and children cannot be forced to seek counseling…it also involves asking them what are their fears and reservations, and addressing those, there are ways of mitigating the risks);
- what is the estimated cost of the next stage to be executed (the team and the partners have been talking about the possibility of making it accessible and available – while the goal is to make it free to the public, there is a cost for paying the counsellors for the service that is provided…even the technology…if it is successful, we will look for who can sponsor the initiative);
- the possibility of localizing remote services by empowering regional/provincial areas to provide similar services, and whether SDRC will provide training for counselors in the regions/provinces (the goal is to make the protocol sustainable, to go beyond this project…if it can be rolled out after 2021 to LGUs, that will be a big contribution from SDRC);
- the suggestion that this research be shared with the national and regional Inter-Agency Council on Violence Against Women and Children (IAC-VAWC) to also fill in the gap in service delivery (dissemination and sharing is too early during the present pilot-testing stage, but these can be made available once completed); and
- how best to handle OSAEC cases in schools (the team is exploring partnership with some schools if guidance counsellors alert them of OSAEC cases, though this may need to be coursed through the Department of Education… attending to both academics and the mental health of students is a challenge, schools need to have lectures or webinars to help students cope…students should be encouraged to reach out to teachers and guidance counsellors if there is something troubling them…the goal is to help, to not add to one another’s stress, but to support each other).
In closing, Dr. Tarroja invited those who might want to participate in the remote counseling initiative to email [email protected].
The “Development of Remote Counseling Protocols for OSAEC Victims/Survivors” serves as an example of how the Social Development Research Center has been able to adapt to the challenges of the new normal, to produce and initiate research projects that are sustainable and have an impact on many people, and to continue its mission in spite of the extreme conditions of the pandemic. These were the achievements lauded by College of Liberal Arts Assistant Dean of Research and Advanced Studies Dr. Dennis D. Trinidad, CLA Dean Dr. Rhoderick V. Nuncio, and Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation Dr. Raymond Girard Tan in their congratulatory messages to the Center as it commenced its virtual anniversary celebration. SDRC Director Dr. Melvin A. Jabar likewise observed how the pandemic “made our Center more agile than ever.” Reassuring participants and partners that “the journey will go on until we reach a future with normalcy,” he echoes the goal of helping individuals to overcome debilitation and move toward recovery and renewal.
