Child protection is an amanah and a shared responsibility. Creating safer Islamic schools requires more than good intentions; it requires awareness, preparation, clear policies, and adults who know how to respond when concerns arise.
In this virtual workshop, Awareness, Safety & Accountability: Building a Culture of Child Protection in Islamic Schools, ISLA brought together educators and school leaders to explore practical ways to strengthen child protection within Islamic school communities.
The session covered key areas including:
- Recognizing signs of abuse and grooming
- Understanding how abuse can occur in-person and online
- Responding appropriately when a child discloses abuse
- Understanding reporting responsibilities
- Creating clear safeguarding procedures within schools
- Addressing common misconceptions around child sexual abuse
- Using Islamic principles such as amanah, justice, mercy, and responsibility to strengthen child protection efforts
The workshop emphasized an important message: schools need to be prepared before a concern arises. Staff should know their responsibilities, understand where to find reporting information, and have access to practical resources they can use when they are needed.
Watch the Workshop
Watch the full recording below to learn more about building a culture of awareness, safety, and accountability in your school.
Additional Resources
The following resources were shared during the workshop for those who would like to continue learning about child protection, trauma, survivor support, and sexual violence:
- Spotlight — A film about sexual abuse by Catholic clergy. Film review by Spirituality & Practice: spiritualityandpractice.com/films/reviews/view/28047/spotlight
- Healing Trauma Institute — Resources focused on trauma healing and recovery:
healingtraumainstitute.org/ - Ruh Care — Learn more about Islamically aligned online therapy:
www.ruhcare.com/ - Ruh Care Therapists — Find therapists in the United States:
www.ruhcare.com/therapists?country_equal=%5B%22United+States%22%5D - National Sexual Violence Resource Center — The Impact of Racialization on Muslim Survivors of Sexual Abuse:
www.nsvrc.org/blog_post/impact-racialization-muslims-survivors-sexual-violence/ - Boston University (2024) — Sexual Violence in Muslim Communities: Towards Awareness and Accountability:
open.bu.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/d028138f-f4dd-4551-b445-0ff767d68c9f/content - Child Sexual Abuse Studies in Arab Societies: A Systematic Review and Directions for Future Research:
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35044887/ - Nobody’s Girl by Virginia Roberts Giuffre: A memoir shared as an additional resource related to experiences of sexual exploitation and abuse.
Explore the ISLA Sexual Abuse Prevention Toolkit
For more practical resources, visit the ISLA Sexual Abuse Prevention Toolkit (SAPT), developed to support Islamic schools and communities in strengthening child protection and safeguarding practices.
Explore the toolkit here
Bring SAPT Training to Your Community
If your school or community is interested in a virtual or in-person SAPT training, complete the intake form below to learn more and request a training.
Request SAPT Training: Complete the SAPT Training Intake Form
