BEIT LYNN - Child Protection
Center
Jerusalem, Israel
Beit Lynn targets the
following population:
Minors up to age 18
Victims of sexual, physical or psychological abuse
Victims who have been harmed by family or non-family members
Beit Lynn fills a critical
gap in Israel's social service network for victims of abuse.
Today, victims may undergo a lengthy and painful diagnosis and
investigation process that includes:
Multiple interviews by professionals from different agencies
Lack of coordination between various agencies and traveling
from office to office
A complex and drawn-out diagnosis and decision making process
This process can further
harms the child or youth and can often result in:
Further suffering to the child or youth
Continued exposure of the victim to the offender
Collection of incomplete or inaccurate information
Misplacement of medical or general data
Inefficient joint decision making processes, especially decisions
that need to be made immediately
Inability to develop clear-cut interventions in order to prevent
further suffering to the victim
Mixed messages and lack of clarity to the child and family regarding
the situation
Lack of a holistic approach that treats both the child and family
The Beit Lynn Center aims
to:
Shorten and centralize the interview and diagnosis process
Provide immediate initial intervention if and when necessary
Improve the decision making process and provide referrals and
recommendations for further treatment
Ensure a sensitive and multi-faceted professional response
In order to ensure a holistic
and sensitive response, Beit Lynn:
Offers children and youth a safe, warm and friendly environment
Facilitates joint decision making meetings between a child protection
officer, a youth investigator, a pediatrician, a social worker
and other professionals
Provides medical checkups and initial urgent treatment
Refers victims and their families to appropriate services in
the community for long-term intervention
Beit Lynn was established
through the kind support of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman
Family Foundation, in partnership with:
Israel Ministry of Welfare
Israel Police
Israel Ministry of Justice
Israel Ministry of Health
Jerusalem Municipality
ASHALIM
HADASSAH Hospital
Children and youth at
Beit Lynn receive help from a holistic and professional team
which includes:
A child protection officer (social worker)
A child investigator (social worker)
A youth investigator (policeman)
A housemother
A pediatrician
An attorney
Characteristics of the
population visiting Beit Lynn:
In 2003 - 2004, 700 children and youth were treated at Beit
Lynn
42% were boys, 58% girls
50% of clients were harmed by a family member
55% of the cases were girls and boys who suffered sexual abuse,
45% of the cases were victims of physical abuse
55% of the physical abuse cases involved boys
32% of the sexual abuse cases involved boys
The Beit Lynn National
Network:
An additional Beit Lynn Protection Center will be set up at
Tel Hashomer Hospital near Tel Aviv during 2005
Eight additional Centers will be established throughout the
country over the next 10 years
