Break the silence , children !
CHUKA , THE UNIQUE VIDEO GAME EMPOWERING CHILDREN AGAINST GENDER VIOLENCE
“ It ’ s remarkable how much power and value playing has , and how it is used to touch such a relevant topic for the society through Chuka . This videogame is proof that education is achievable through different play experiences . Great actions from UNODC !”
Javier Valadez Ortega , Government and
Public Affairs Senior Manager , LEGO
In 2018 , UNODC ’ s Education for Justice ( E4J ) initiative launched one of its most innovative and topical projects to great acclaim in Mexico City ’ s iconic Centre of Digital Culture .
“ Chuka , Break the Silence ” is a creative , bespoke video game which helps young girls develop ways to respond to psychological , physical and sexual violence , while raising the awareness of girls and boys and helping them recognize such situations . By playing as the character Chuka , a 13-year old female YouTuber and gamer who encounters haters and monsters in a nightmare , children learn to be assertive and to take actions which help them defeat various forms of gender-based violence .
It is an engaging game where boys and girls aged 7 to 12 learn to recognize different types of aggressions , each of which needs appropriate responses ‒ either personally from the children or with the help of trusted adults . By having to decide for themselves how best to deal with the various problematic scenarios , which they can solve by selecting combinations of emoticons which represent the direct response or the help needed , the children are learning to differentiate between the types and the severity level of these aggressions . This sharpens not just their understanding of the issues , but also helps build values such as respect and empathy , and skills such as critical thinking and decision-making .
For the design and the production of the game , Education for Justice worked with the Mexico City-based
Gargamel Estudio , a renowned women-led developer firm specialized in educational children ’ s games . Chuka ’ s artwork was inspired by the drawings of children depicting the monsters of gender-based violence , rendered into the graphics . With the input of psychologists and educators , dozens of new emoticons were also created for players to communicate with the aggressors .
The importance of starting to educate children early about these matters was stressed by UNICEF ’ s Christian Skoog at the launch : “ A large part of gender violence takes root in childhood , as society and the community reinforce traditional , stereotypical and violent gender roles .”
Chuka has already been praised by LEGO , the renowned leader in children ’ s toys and games . “ It ’ s remarkable how much power and value playing has , and how it is used to touch such a relevant topic for the society through Chuka ,” said LEGO ’ s Government and Public Affairs Senior Manager , Javier Valadez Ortega . “ This video game is proof that education is achievable through different play experiences . Great actions from UNODC !”
Children can play Chuka as both a
browser game and a mobile game , downloadable on iTunes and Android . It is E4J ’ s first venture into educational video games .
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