violence against children WORLD REPORT ON - CRIN

5of counselling services to prevent abandonment,and that are unable to provide socialservices to parents who are at risk of being violenttowards their child. As well, in countrieswith fewer health and social services to offerparents such as mental health and alcohol ordrug addiction services, children are likely toremain in institutional care for longer periodsof time.In Brazil, a national survey of 589 institutionsreceiving federal funding used somewhat differentcategories to collect data on institutionalisationof children of all ages. The main reasonschildren were institutionalised included thefollowing: family’s lack of material resources(i.e. poverty) (24%), abandonment by parentsor guardians (18%), domestic violence (11%),parents’ or guardians’ addiction to chemicalsubstances (11%), parents living on the streets(7%), orphaned: 5%, imprisonment of parentsor guardians (4%), and sexual abuse by eitherparents or guardians (3%). 59Most children living in institutions could bereintegrated into their families with the assistanceof social workers, or other services andsupport. When family reintegration is not possible,other family-based alternatives provide afar safer and more beneficial environment forchildren. The lack of arrangements for alternativesystems of care in countries with themeans to provide such systems is another demonstrationof the obscurity and prejudice surroundingthe care of children who have beendeprived of their families, or had the misfortuneto be born into dysfunctional, violent, orfragmented home situations.Sources of violence withincare institutionsThe heightened risk of violence to childrenin care institutions comes from a variety ofsources. The greatest amount of evidence concernsviolence of various kinds by staff, includingneglect, and violence by children againstother children. In addition, some forms oftreatment practiced in many institutionsthemselves constitute violence.Violence by staffChildren in residential facilities may be subjectedto physical, sexual and psychologicalviolence by staff. Such violence can includeverbal abuse, beatings, excessive or prolongedrestraints, rape, sexual assault or harassment.Some of it comes in the form of State-authorisedand still lawful violent disciplinary measures.In 145 States, corporal punishmentand other forms of degrading punishment ortreatment have not been explicitly prohibitedin all residential institutions and other formsof alternative care; only 31 States have consistentlyprohibited all corporal punishment inall forms of alternative care. 60 In some States,there are detailed regulations specifying howpunishment is to be administered, includingthe implement to be used, and what parts ofthe body may be struck.Although the State is responsible for protectingchildren from violence irrespective of whois providing their care, staff violence has beendocumented in institutions around the world,including those run by the State, by faithbasedorganisations, and by private entrepre-187Violence against Children in care and justice institutions