violence against children WORLD REPORT ON - CRIN

20An end to violence against children5. Enhance the capacity of all who workwith and for childrenI recommend that the capacity of allthose who work with and for childrento contribute to eliminate all violenceagainst them must be developed. Initialand in-service training which impartsknowledge and respect for children’srights should be provided. States shouldinvest in systematic education andtraining programmes both for professionalsand non-professionals who workwith or for children and families toprevent, detect and respond to violenceagainst children. Codes of conduct andclear standards of practice, incorporatingthe prohibition and rejection of allforms of violence, should be formulatedand implemented.While many services contribute to the preventionof violence against children, all need toconsider how to maximise their potential forprevention, including through the specifictraining of all who work with children. Systematicand long-term support, in pre-serviceas well as in-service training, is needed at alllevels to ensure highly functional staff andhigh-quality services for children.6. Provide recovery and social reintegrationservicesI recommend that States provide accessible,child-sensitive and universal healthand social services, including pre-hospitaland emergency care, legal assistanceto children and, where appropriate,their families when violence is detectedor disclosed. Health, criminal justice,and social service systems should bedesigned to meet the special needs ofchildren.Violence against children can have a range ofserious health and social outcomes, costly bothto individuals and to society. Minimising theseconsequences of violence will require a varietyof treatment and support services. Servicesfocused on rehabilitation and reintegration mayalso help to reduce the risk of child victims ofviolence continuing the cycle of violence.7. Ensure the participation of childrenI recommend that States actively engagewith children and respect their views inall aspects of prevention, response andmonitoring of violence against them,taking into account article 12 of theConvention on the Rights of the Child.Children’s organisations and child-ledinitiatives to address violence, guidedby the best interests of the child, shouldbe supported and encouraged.The CRC elaborates children’s right to expresstheir views freely on all matters that affectthem and to have those views given due weight.Children’s own views and experiences mustcontribute to prevention and other interventionsto stop violence against them. Children– acting voluntarily and with appropriate ethicalsafeguards – can make a significant contributionto both describing the problem of violenceagainst them, and also to the design ofservices and other interventions that they cantrust and use. The obligation to ascertain andtake children’s views seriously must be built