• Transience and mobility – this can impact on the development of students’ identity and relationships, particularly when requiring support in times of need.
  KS:CPC recommendations – follow up on missed topics and key concepts; focus on identity and relationships.
• Levels of maturity – students can display higher levels of maturity and sophistication in some areas and be quite naive and immature in other areas.
  KS:CPC recommendations – assess the maturity of students and their knowledge of key concepts. Activities may need adapting, or provide activities at a lower year level.
• Separation from extended families – students may be separated from their family for long periods of time due to the transient nature of their parents’ work. This can affect their friendships and relationships resulting in attachment issues with little support during times of crisis.
  KS:CPC recommendations – when establishing students’ trusted networks, consider broader options that may provide support when parents/families are not available. Adapt relationship activities to include strategies for communication when separated from friends and family.
• Cultural differences – students may be caught between multiple and sometimes conflicting cultures with different value systems and behavioural expectations.
  KS:CPC recommendations – understand the cultural backgrounds of students and reinforce concepts of safety, rights and power in relationships.
• High expectations – there may be pressure on students for high academic achievement.
  KS:CPC recommendations – reinforce concepts on identity, health, relationships and support networks.
• Access to maids and other daily helpers (drivers) – students may have varying attitudes towards rights and responsibilities, and everyday life skills. Some students may have different people picking them up from school such as carers or nannies.
  KS:CPC recommendations – reinforce concepts on needs, rights and responsibilities, and review networks regularly.
• Access to expensive international schools – some students may have difficulty transitioning from their original school to an international school. Some companies pay for students’ tuition.
  KS:CPC recommendations – be aware of students’ school history and background, and reinforce activities on identity, health and relationships.

Characteristics of international school families

• Families may feel isolated from their extended family and from their previous community for support.
• There may be a power differential in their marriage if only one person has a work permit which can create vulnerability.
• Families may feel the impact of absentee parents.
• There may be conflicting emotions about the host country for expatriates.
• The lack of control over critical life decisions can cause a feeling of instability when companies make decisions about where, when and how the family moves.
• Families may feel like the relationship with the host country is superficial or they are being treated like a tourist.

Characteristics of international school communities

• Schools may take a significant role as the central body of family life. This often provides superficial relationships that cannot meet the mental health needs of students.
• The family’s position in the community may be an inhibitor for the school to act on any issues.
• There may be a sense of being lost in the diversity of the community which can cause further isolation.

Cultural dynamics of international school communities

• The multiple norms embedded in different cultural traditions can cause confusion particularly with values such as religion, parenting, discipline, care-giving, sexuality, gender roles and responsibilities.
• The impact of rapidly changing pop culture from developed nations may conflict with what is accepted in the community.
• There may be varying degrees of openness embedded within the cultural traditions of the community.
• The cultural attitudes toward gender issues and child development may be vastly different as well as the concepts of developmental needs through childhood.

Globally, it is estimated that up to one billion children each year are affected by physical, sexual, or emotional violence or neglect (WHO 2022b).

There is a greater impact on academic success and a heightened risk of educational underachievement for children who have been affected by violence.

They are more likely to drop out of school and college than children who have not been on the receiving end of violence or abuse (WHO 2022b).

Understanding the issues children and the community face can help prepare educators to implement effective child protection education. Children may be exposed to different types of violence, exploitation and abuse. UNICEF (2012) highlights various issues, including:

• Armed violence is not confined to war; it occurs increasingly in non-conflict settings including in middle income countries and it has a dramatic impact on children, their families, and their communities.
• Birth registration is central to children having access to basic services and protecting them from child labour; being arrested and treated as adults in the justice system; forcible conscription in armed forces; child marriage; trafficking and sexual exploitation.
• Child labour affects millions of children around the world depriving them of their childhood, health and education.
• Child marriage (before age 18), is widespread and worldwide, more than 650 million women were married as children and an estimated 12 million girls under 18 are married each year.
• Child protection and information and communication technologies (ICT) has the potential to assist vulnerable children but the risks include: children being exposed to violent images, cyberbullying, sexual solicitation (online grooming), circulation of child sexual abuse materials and live stream abuse.
• Child recruitment by armed forces or armed groups has affected children across the world with thousands recruited into government armed forces and rebel groups to serve as combatants, cooks, porters, messengers or in other roles. Girls are also recruited for sexual purposes or forced marriage.
• Child trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of children for the purpose of exploitation. It is estimated that 1.2 million children are being trafficked each year (International Labour Office Geneva, 2002).
• Children without parental care may be in this situation due to: abduction; trafficking; migration; living on the street; displacement; recruitment by armed forces; living in alternative care due to health issues, educational reasons, household violence, poverty, death of parents, or stigma.
• Children with disabilities are at great risk of abuse. Legislation, policies and attitudes that fail to recognise the legal capacity of children with disabilities are factors that aggravate their discrimination, can exclude them from society and increase their vulnerability to violence, abuse and exploitation.
• Family separation in emergencies such as natural disasters or armed conflict may lead to the separation of children from their families and caregivers. The longer a child is separated from their family, the greater the risk of violence, economic and sexual exploitation, abuse and potential trafficking.
• Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) refers to procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. UNICEF estimates at least 200 million girls and women have experienced FGM/C in 30 countries across three continents.
• Gender-based violence affects both males and females but the majority of persons affected by gender-based violence are women and girls.
• Justice for children that may be victims and/or witnesses, may be in conflict with the law, or as parties to a justice process for reasons such as custody arrangements. Children suspected or accused of having committed an offence are often detained for various reasons.
• Landmines and explosive weapons and other explosive remnants of war continue to kill and maim children throughout the world.
• Psychosocial support and wellbeing of children is impacted by: conflicts; natural disasters; exposure to violence; disasters; loss of, or separation from, family members and friends; poor living conditions; and limited access to services.
• Sexual violence against children – UNICEF (2022) estimates that around 120 million girls under the age of 20 (about 1 in 10) have been subjected to forced sexual intercourse or other forced sexual acts at some point in their lives. Boys also report experiences of sexual violence, but to a lesser extent than girls.

Cross-cultural kids

Cross-cultural kids (CCK) refers to children who have lived in or interacted with 2 or more cultural environments for a significant period during their developmental years.

The CCK model includes groups such as:

• traditional third culture kids – who move to another culture due to a parent’s career choice
• bi/multi-cultural and/or bi/multiracial children – who were born to parents from at least 2 cultures or races
• children of immigrants – whose parents have made a permanent move to a new country
• children of refugees – whose parents are living outside their original country due to circumstances such as war, violence, famine, natural disasters
• children of minorities – whose parents are not from the majority race or ethnicity of the country in which they live
• international adoptees – children adopted by parents from another country not of the child’s birth
• domestic third culture kids – whose parents have moved among various subcultures within the child’s home country.

(Pollock D and Van Reken RE 2002)

Managing allegations of child abuse by educators and other adults: Protocol for international schools (Council of International Schools)

The international child safeguarding standards (Keeping Children Safe)

(Pollock and Van Reken 2002) Pollock D and Van Reken RE (2002) Third culture kids: growing up among worlds, John Murray Press, Great Britain

UNICEF (2012) Child protection from violence, exploitation and abuse, viewed October 2024, https://kscpc.sa.edu.au/e/10191

World Health Organization (WHO) (2022b) Violence against children, viewed October 2024, https://kscpc.sa.edu.au/e/10193