End violence
Protecting every child and adolescent
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UNICEF works tirelessly to promote new, evidence-based strategies in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) that foster safe environments for every child and adolescent.
Our programmes are based on practice- and evidence-based technical expertise, research and evaluation, with a vision of robust, mature national child protection systems. Together with civil society, youth movements and government partners, we aim to ensure that every child is protected from violence, exploitation, abuse, neglect and harmful practices in order reach the goals of UNICEF’s Child Protection Strategy (2022-2030) and the SGDs by 2030.
Our vision
Our vision is to strengthen the 'Child Protection System' to better protect ALL children. In a region considered by some measures to be the most violent in the world, where homicide is the leading cause of death among adolescents aged 10-19, and where 73 million children live in countries and territories where corporal punishment at home is still permitted to some extent, UNICEF addresses critical issues such as corporal punishment, sexual violence and armed violence, alternative care and justice for children in all settings including in humanitarian situations.
We operate with the belief that violence and associated child protection risks are preventable. The challenge is to prevent child protection risks and acts of violence from occurring and, when they do, to prevent reoccurrence.
What do we do to confront this challenge?
- We recognize the centrality of having a strong social service workforce and are committed to system strengthening, allowing professionals to provide the highest quality of care and support to children and adolescents who need child protection services.
- We promote a significant reduction in the number of institutionalized children and adolescents, through appropriate alternative care systems and the use of case referrals, ensuring that they receive the necessary support for a more promising future.
- We support a comprehensive approach to safe and orderly human mobility, addressing structural causes and actively collaborating to identify lasting solutions, particularly through psychosocial support services, care and legal identity.
- We address a wide range of challenges that affect children and adolescents. Our efforts have a direct impact on issues such as child labor, identity and various forms of violence, such as bullying.
- We ensure to have useful data and evidence, and robust systems to generate child protection data, including from administrative sources, representative household surveys, academic research and evaluations.
- Through our knowledge management plan, we seek to take advantage of the available knowledge and make effective use of it.
Data. The challenge in Latin America and the Caribbean:
| Corporal punishment and violent discipline at home |
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- 2 out of every 3 boys and girls from 1 to 14 years old experience violent discipline at home. - 1 in 2 boys and girls under 5 years of age in Latin America and 3 in 4 in the Caribbean have suffered physical punishment. |
| School bullying |
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- 34% of students aged 13 to 15 experienced bullying in the last 30 days - 19% of sixth grade students in 15 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean have experienced physical bullying. 33% experienced psychological bullying. - Being a victim of bullying in these countries on average led to a reduction of between 5% to 19% in test scores in math and reading |
| Sexual abuse and intimate partner violence |
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- 1 million adolescents aged 15 to 17 report having been victims of sexual abuse at least once. - 29% of women aged 15 to 24 report experiencing intimate partner violence at some point in their lives. |
| Birth registration |
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- 95% of children under 5 years of age have their birth registered. - There is a significant variation in birth registration rates, reaching 100% in Jamaica and 85% in Haiti. |
| Children living in institutional care |
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| - Between 230,000 and 375,000 children live in institutions in this region and are likely to suffer various forms of violence and neglect. |
| Child labour |
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| - In 2020, 8.2 million children and adolescents between 5 and 17 years old worked in the region. Most of them are adolescent boys, and 33% are girls, according to ILO. |
| Armed violence and the highest child homicide rate in the world |
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- 12.6 per 100,000 in 2019. This is four times higher compared to the global average (3 per 100,000) - Among boys: 22.6 per 100,000, for girls: to 3.2. |
What we do
UNICEF works closely with governments, civil society organizations and communities to strengthen child protection systems that prevent and respond to violence against children and adolescents, ensure that all children and adolescents have access to equitable justice, have an identity and are supported in a family environment.
From UNICEF's Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office
We have a crucial role in ensuring children’s protection in the region, working to articulate field experiences and UNICEF's global strategic vision. To achieve these goals:
- We work with 24 country offices, regional institutions, media, UNICEF headquarters and thematic experts globally.
- We add value to the work of UNICEF country offices through leadership on strategic issues for the region, technical assistance and supervision of the quality of programme implementation to ensure the achievement of their objectives.
- We promote UNICEF's credibility as a partner of excellence in the region, working closely with global and regional networks and UN agencies to ensure child protection is on the agenda.
- We provide cutting-edge knowledge and a regional perspective on child protection concerns.
- We influence decision-making in matters of policy and public opinion, and we contribute to accelerating the results of our programmes for girls, boys and adolescents.
Learn more about our work
From UNICEF country offices
In Latin America and the Caribbean, we work in 36 countries -in all contexts, both development and humanitarian, to better protect all children. UNICEF is dedicated to promoting and strengthening child protection systems. We work together with governments, private sector and civil society organizations to develop effective systems that prevent and respond to child protection risks.
Our approach includes preventing and responding to violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect, ensuring a safe and protective environment for children. We advocate for greater investment in child protection with the aim of ensuring a better future for all children in the region. Through training and technical assistance, we empower authorities to implement child protection laws and policies effectively.
Find information about the work of each country office on child protection issues here:
Argentina | Belize | Bolivia | Chile | Colombia | Costa Rica | Cuba | Dominican Republic | Eastern Caribbean | Ecuador | El Salvador | Guatemala | Guyana and Suriname | Haiti | Honduras | Jamaica | Mexico | Nicaragua | Panama | Paraguay | Peru | | Uruguay | Venezuela
Priority work areas for the region:
Violence against children and adolescents
At UNICEF, our goal is to end violence against children and adolescents. To reach that goal, we focus on universal prevention and protection, supported by research, evidence and the participation of children and adolescents, and the strengthening of child protection systems and services.
Prevention: we work with governments to strengthen policies and legal frameworks that protect children and adolescents. We work with civil registrars to ensure that the birth of every child is registered. We promote social and cultural changes to address and eradicate violence against children.
Protection: through partners we provide support and protection to victims and survivors of multiple forms of violence. We work with partners that provide psychological and legal care, as well as safe havens and rehabilitation.
Participation: we listen to the voices of children and adolescents. We work with partners to involve them in decisions that affect them and to create safe spaces for young people to express their opinions.
Research: we generate data and research on child protection. This not only helps us develop evidence-based policies and programmes, but helps us to monitor trends and to support improved prevention and case management for children who have experienced violence.
We work closely with governments and communities to ensure access to justice and ensure that children are supported within a family environment. We address the global challenge of institutional childcare, working to phase out institutions and reintegrate children into families and communities. Together, we create a safer and more welcoming environment for children.
Strengthening the justice system: we work closely with governments and institutions to strengthen the justice system, ensuring that it is equitable and accessible for all children and adolescents. We promote the use of non-custodial measures and restorative justice in the case of children in conflict with the law.
Empowering children to access justice: through partners we provide legal education, encourage the expression of children and adolescent’s opinions, facilitating access to legal processes and promoting the recognition of their rights. This is done in a comprehensive approach that includes social work, health, education and social protection.
Working with families: we focus on supporting and strengthening families so they can provide a safe and loving environment for children, while working to prevent unnecessary family separations.
Promotion of quality alternative care and deinstitutionalization: we advocate for and support the development of high-quality alternative care options that prioritize the best interests of the child, including family and community-based models of care and promote the deinstitutionalization of large-scale care institutions.
At UNICEF we strive to protect EVERY child, including those who are on the move. Our efforts cover child protection, access to education, healthcare and nutrition, as well as civil registration and documentation.
Advocacy: we advocate for safe immigration policies, collaborate with communities, conduct research and foster alliances to ensure that children on the move receive the support and protection they need.
Protection and access to essential services and assistance: through partners, children on the move can access shelter, psychosocial support, life skills training and family reunification. We work with state institutions, especially in civil registration and identity.
Capacity building: with counterparts we strengthen the capacities of professionals to provide adequate protection and recognize risks such as trafficking and sexual violence, promoting inclusion and non-discrimination. This includes children who return as well as in the receiving communities to promote integration.
Other work areas:
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In emergency situations, such as natural disasters or conflict, we focus on preventing and responding to violence, abuse and exploitation of children and adolescents, with special attention to preventing and responding to gender-based violence and supporting the psycho-social well-being of children. We prioritize family reunification to ensure that children separated from their families are quickly located and reunited. Our solutions are effective and sustainable, guaranteeing short and long-term protection.
Our mission in this field stems from engagement with the child protection system. It recognizes the many actors engaged, including children and youth, families, communities, government, civil society and private organizations. Effective child protection depends on: (i) appropriate policies, legislation and regulations; (ii) well-defined structures and functions and adequate capacities; (iii) supportive social norms; (iv) effective promotion, prevention and response actions; (v) high quality evidence and data for decision-making; and (vi) efficient fiscal management and sufficient resource allocation. When these elements and actors work together, they create a system that is better able to protect every child.
Resources
Explore our research and publications on protection of children and adolescents
