Violence against children
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© UNICEF/LAO01205/Holmes |
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Street begging exposes children to violence and abuse in Lao PDR |
The Issues
Violence against children is widespread in our region. It occurs in workplaces, on the streets and in environments meant to be safe, such as schools, institutions and homes.
- Subordinate status. Children traditionally have a subordinate status in the family in our region. When this attitude is combined with poverty, unemployment, financial difficulties and substance abuse, children can fall victim to domestic violence.
- Unequal power relationship. When abuse occurs in school, students and their families are usually afraid to bring charges against teachers and other personnel because school officials often have a higher social standing.
- Discrimination. Negative attitudes towards street children and children with unclear immigration status expose them to gang violence, police brutality, exploitative labour and other dangers.
- Poor enforcement of child protection laws. Enforcement may be hampered by many factors, including: poor implementation of guidelines; lack of child sensitive procedures; inadequate protection of child witnesses; lack of recognition of children’s rights and clear definitions on what constitutes violence, abuse and maltreatment; and inadequate harmonization of legal frameworks for child protection.
- Low awareness. Public awareness about violence against children varies across our region, but the issue is generally overlooked.
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© UNICEF/IDS00004/Dillon |
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Adolescent prisoners are incarcerated with adult in Indonesia |
UNICEF in Action
UNICEF seeks to address violence against children by taking these actions:
- Teaching children life skills on how to prevent and handle potentially violent situations;
- Promoting behaviour and attitude changes within families and communities;
- Advocating for legal reforms that prohibit corporal punishment and other forms of institutional violence;
- Training teachers, health and social workers on how to identify and respond to child abuse cases; and
- Supporting child protection networks and reporting, monitoring and referral systems, including services such as hotlines and temporary shelters.
Working in Partnership to Address Violence Against Children in East Asia and the Pacific
As a member of the East Asia and Pacific Steering Committee on Violence Against Children, UNICEF has been working with leading child rights agencies to support the recently launched UN Secretary-General's Study on Violence Against Children. Members include Child Workers in Asia, ECPAT, Plan International, Save the Children Sweden, Terre des Hommes Germany, UNESCO, UNICEF, World Vision and WHO.
UNICEF and IPU Join Forces to Stop Violence against Children
East Asia and Pacific launch of the UN Secretary-General's study on violence against children
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