violence against children WORLD REPORT ON - CRIN

“In the consultations all over the world, it was as if everyone had been waiting for permission to talkabout this - waiting for violence against children not to be a secret any more.”Karin Landgren, Chief, Child Protection, UNICEF3Prioritise prevention1. Ensure that comprehensive systems toprevent violence and protect childrenare implemented at scale, in ways thatrespect the whole child and their family,their dignity and privacy, and the developmentalneeds of girls and boys. Governmentsshould ensure that responsesystems should be coordinated, aimed atprevention and early intervention, linkedto integrated services that extend acrosssectors – legal, education, justice, social,health, employment and other necessaryservices. Respect for the views of the childin all matters and decisions which affectthem should be assured. Governmentshave the obligation to develop evidencebasedstandards to facilitate effective andsensitive service delivery for children in allparts of the country.Societal level2. Assess the impact of public policies onchildren and their families. Governmentsshould conduct social impact assessmentswhich give particular attention tothe potential impact of public policies onviolence against children – especially discrimination,social and economic stress,and other risk factors relevant to family violenceagainst children. The results shouldbe used to prioritise economic and socialsafety nets which directly benefit families.3. Increase economic and social safety netsfor families. These should include familysupport centres which can provide assistance,including that provided in emergencysituations; and they should help to developsupportive networks through providingquality child care facilities and pre-schoolenrichment programmes; and throughrespite programmes for families facingespecially difficult circumstances; and alsoby giving attention to underlying factorssuch as education, housing, employment,and social policies and opportunities.4. Implement evidence-based advocacyprogrammes on violence prevention. Atthe society and community level, Governmentsshould support strategies that aim toraise awareness of child rights, and promotechange in social and cultural norms, genderequity/equality, and non-discrimination.Such programmes should target Governmentsector workers, including police andjustice system staff, educators, health workers,and the private sector, as well as parentsand the general public. Governmentshave the obligation to initiate and supportawareness campaigns that promote non-violentrelationships and communication withchildren, as well as the positive involvementof men and boys in family life.Legal measures5. Develop an explicit framework of lawand policy in which all forms of violenceagainst children within the familyare prohibited and rejected. Governmentshave the obligation to prohibit andeliminate all forms of violence againstchildren in the home as well as in othersettings. This includes all harmful tradi-93Violence against children in the home and family