violence against children WORLD REPORT ON - CRIN

7of both supply and demand for these twosalient risk factors in community violence,including through measures such as pricingand regulation reforms, law enforcement,and public education.6. Reduce risk factors in the physical environment.Governments should ensurethat efforts are made in urban rehabilitationinitiatives to make public spaces saferthrough design features such as betterlighting. In addition, urban design shouldinclude safe public places and routes forchildren in and between communities.7. Train law enforcement agents to workwith children, and end impunity ofpolice who abuse the rights of children.Governments should ensure that policeneed to be trained about children’s rightsas well the basics of child development andhow to deal with particular groups such asstreet children or child group members.At the same time supervision of policepractices must be improved, while officerswho abuse children’s rights must be heldaccountable for their actions.8. Increase efforts to both prevent andpunish child trafficking. Governmentsshould ensure that measures range fromprimary prevention (i.e. changing the conditionsthat make children vulnerable totrafficking) to vigorous law enforcementaction against traffickers. Children whoare trafficked or used to traffic drugs andweapons are usually victims themselvesof several violations of their rights, andshould not be re-victimised as criminals.They should be carefully assisted to getout of these situations, with a focus on safeand viable alternatives.Victim services9. Provide improved pre-hospital care andemergency medical services. Improvedpre-hospital care and emergency medicalcan significantly reduce deaths from violenceand improve the outcome of victimsthat suffer non-fatal violent injuries.10. Improve access and quality of supportservices for victims. The impact of violencecan stay with its victims throughouttheir lifetime. Early access to qualitysupport services can help to mitigate theimpact of the event on the victim, includingpreventing longer term consequences suchas becoming a perpetrator of violence.11. Provide effective reporting systems forchildren. Governments should ensure thateffective reporting systems for children areestablished. They allow children who arevictimised to reach trained professionals,who can, if necessary, refer the case tosocial workers, or health professionals, orlaw enforcement. In community settings,these may include child helplines as wellas formal mechanisms such as communityadvocates for children.Societal level12. Invest in social, housing and educationalprogrammes that strengthenfamilies and improve linkages andsocial networks within and between337Violence against children in the community