Child protection

Every child has the right to be safe from harm. Yet, millions of children around the world experience violence, exploitation and abuse in their homes, schools and communities – in the places where they should be most protected.

Children uprooted by emergencies such as conflict and disaster are among the most vulnerable. Separated from their families, children risk being recruited by armed groups, trafficked or forced into labour. Girls and women are particularly at risk of sexual violence and abuse.

UNICEF Office of Strategy and Evidence – Innocenti generates data and evidence aimed at helping to protect children and women. We examine violence, child labour, harmful cultural practices and the experience of children who have migrated or were forced from their homes. Our child-sensitive approach gives children the opportunity to share their experiences and offers insight into their needs.

Our research and evidence guide solutions that effectively protect children’s rights from the time they are registered at birth. We ask: How can we protect children by dissolving harmful gender roles, norms and power imbalances that perpetuate harm and violence for women, children and young people? What are the risks children face when they are displaced from their home? What happens to them when they return?

The answers to these questions and others help policymakers worldwide protect the rights of children and young people everywhere.