violence against children WORLD REPORT ON - CRIN

218Violence against Children in care and justice institutionsresponsible for violence against children aswell as against those who are responsible forinstitutions where such violence takes place.9. Ensure effective monitoring and access.Governments shouild ensure that institutionsare inspected regularly by appropriatelyempowered independent bodieswith the authority to enter without warning,interview children and staff in privateand investigate any alleged violence;access to institutions by NGOs, lawyers,judges, ombudspersons, national humanrights institutions, parliamentarians, themedia, and others as appropriate shouldbe assured, while respecting children’s privacyrights.10. Registration and collection of data. Governmentsshould ensure that all placementsand movements of children between placements,including detention, are registeredand centrally reported. Data on childrenin detention and residential care should besystematically collected and published. Ata minimum, such data should be disaggregatedby sex, age, disability and reasons forplacement. All incidents of violence shouldbe recorded and centrally reported. Informationon violence against children shouldalso be collected through confidential exitinterviews with all children leaving suchinstitutions, in order to measure progressin ending violence against children.For care and social welfare systems11. Support parents’ capacity to care for theirchildren. Governments should fulfil theirobligations to reduce rates of abandonmentand institutionalisation by ensuring parents’access to adequate support, includingservices and livelihood programmes. Priorityshould be given to supporting familiesof children with disabilities, and other childrenat high risk of abandonment or institutionalisation.12. Ensure that alternatives to institutionalisationcover all children in need ofcare. This includes all children in need ofcare, especially orphaned children, thosewith disabilities, and minority or marginalisedgroups. Government should ensurethat family-based care options are favouredin all cases, and are the only option forbabies and small children.For justice systems13. Reduce detention. Governments shouldensure that detention is only used for childoffenders who are assessed as posing a realdanger to others, and then only as a lastresort, for the shortest necessary time, andfollowing judicial hearing, with greaterresources invested in alternative familyandcommunity-based rehabilitation andreintegration programmes.14. Legal reform. Governments should ensurethat all forms of violent sentencing are prohibitedfor offences committed before theage of eighteen, including the death penalty,and all indeterminate and disproportionatesentences, including life imprisonmentwithout parole and corporal punishment.Status offences (such as truancy), survival