Han Choi is a Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH) candidate in the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
FXB: What do you see as the biggest overall challenges in Child Protection these days?
Han Choi: In my opinion, one of the biggest overall challenges in child protection seems to be at a broader level of effective child protection systems and their relationships with governmental bodies. Agendas of child protection in trafficking, migration, etc. seem to be receiving increased attention from organizations but the overall prevention and legal justice seem to be hindered in several countries all over the globe.
FXB: How do you think academic and scholarly work can inform child protection approaches? Have you seen any good examples of this in the real world?
Han Choi: I believe academic and scholarly work can inform child protection approaches in a more policy-based manner. Especially due to the practical nature of the child protection field and the need for advocacy, I believe taking measures to disseminate findings and make recommendations should be done on an urgent and widespread platform.
FXB: If you work in a specific region, are there region-specific challenges you see? How do you hope to see these addressed?
Han Choi: My interest is in the refugee population. Some of the specific challenges I noticed in my work in the Middle Eastern region are cultural barriers and social stigmas. The socio-cultural values of this region may pose some diversities in the way we must frame our work and the nature of the interventions we propose. This may require cultural competency and more so, cultural humility as we co-collaborate with the community in these actions we take.