11.1. Children deprived of their liberty
In addition to a pediatrician, a psychiatrist also visits the Home on a
weekly basis. The physician must be immediately notified of the application
of safety isolation. It causes an impropriety related to the right to physical
and mental health if the medical examination does not take place irrespective of the order of the head of the institution. The same fundamental right
is jeopardized if a nurse decides to drug an aggressive child upon consulting
only with the head of the Home.
Although there are only a few pediatric and youth psychiatrists in the
country, it gives cause for concern if children cannot consult with a pediatric
psychiatrist, at least occasionally, in order to ensure a treatment fitting their age
and conditions. Treatment of minors in an adult psychiatric ward should be
avoided in the interest of protecting the children and preserving their health.
In addition to the Home’s staff, developmental pedagogues and psychologists also participate in the development and remedial education of the children, as a result of which several types of therapeutic, free-time and sports
activities have become accessible. The children’s favorite pass-time is the
computer. It is unfortunate that no filtering and parental control programs,
preventing the children from visiting dangerous websites, were installed on
the personal computers of the Home. In the visiting delegation’s experience,
the children were often busy doing nothing. The lack of meaningful forms of
engagement may lead to an increase in the number of acts of vandalism and
to intensified aggression, thus jeopardizing the enforcement of the prohibition of inhuman treatment and the child’s right to protection and care.
Since it is a boys-only institution, the slight prevalence of men among the
staff members is explicitly recommended. Most of the interviewed children
could single out someone among the staff members whom they could accept
as a role model. It gives cause for concern if the age spectrum of children is
not taken into account when hiring new employees (e.g., they employ babyand child-care nurses, and kindergarten teachers), there is no prior preparation, appropriate training, and continuous supervision. High staff turnover
could be reduced through the employment of well prepared, mental hygienically supported persons. Specific, practice-oriented training could contribute
to effective stress and conflict management, efficiently curbing aggressive,
hostile behavior, and suppressing violent reactions among the children. In
my report, I suggested that the operator should organize regular training for
the employees that could assist them to efficiently handle aggressive, hostile
behavior, manage stress and conflicts and introduce regular supervision.
Home for Children with Disabilities of the Károlyi István Children’s Center
At the time of the visit, there were 24 children residing and 18 staff members
working in the institution in Fót. There were only women employed in care-
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