Determinants and factors of violence affecting children in Serbia

The purpose of this study is to provide documented insights into those aspects of violence that have not so far been at the heart of policies dedicated to the prevention and protection of children - the determinants and factors driving violence, in order to define new national policies.

Research findings show that violence against children in Serbia is widespread in various forms. The types of violence against children can be divided on two bases: the type of injury inflicted on the child and the context in which the violence takes place.

By the type of injury, we distinguish: physical, psychological / emotional, sexual violence, neglection (failure to meet a child’s basic needs  and preventing child’s development), exploitation (harmful use of the child for profit, work, sexual and other activities), forced marriage and structural violence.

Structural violence is indirect violence embodied in social structures characterized by inequality and discrimination, that include unequal opportunities for education, health care or employment, hunger, poverty, racism, gender inequality, as well as other institutionalized forms of injustice that harm children and prevent their development.

Different types of violence are also distinguished depending on the context in which the violence takes place:

• Domestic violence includes all forms of violence to which the child is exposed in the household and / or by family members and relatives, including being present when violence occurs between adults.
• School violence covers all forms of violence that take place between children, the so-called peer violence as well as violence perpetrated against children by adults (teaching and / or non-teaching staff).
• Institutional violence covers all forms of violence against children housed in residential childcare facilities (peer as well as adult violence against children)
• Digital violence presents all forms of violence that take place through digital means of communication and on the Internet.
• Community violence encompasses various forms of direct violence perpetrated on children by strangers or acquaintances, but also structural forms of violence that manifest themselves as social exclusion and discrimination.

Violence is "contagious" - it is transmitted from one context to another (from family to school, from community to family, from school and community to virtual space) but also over time (from one generation to the next).

What triggers violence against children and why is it important?

• Determinants refer to factors at the institutional and structural level that create the conditions in which violence is more or less likely to occur.
• Risk and protective factors reflect the likelihood of violence to occur due to characteristics most often measured at the individual, interpersonal, and community levels.

Identifying and mapping these determinants and factors can help policymakers, professionals and practitioners to better support children and reduce the likelihood of their becoming perpetrators or victims of violence. It is equally important to bolster protective factors to reinforce the resilience of children, families and communities.

Specific forms of violence against children in Serbia

Violence that affects girls to a greater extent- child marriages, sexual exploitation and violence and trafficking.

Violence affecting boys more: child labor in rural areas and peer physical violence in urban areas.

Two groups of children are particularly exposed to risks of violence: children living and working on the street (and easily becoming victims of exploitation, especially sexual, and are at risk of human trafficking) and children living in residential institutions for protection.

The main weaknesses of the system for prevention and protection of children from violence

• There is no functional central body responsible for coordinating, monitoring and evaluating the effects of prevention and protection policies and measures.
• There is no developed methodology for systematically monitoring the implementation of existing protocols.
• There is no centralized database.
• The processes of monitoring and evaluating interventions (laws, policies, measures, programs, services) are rare and unsystematic.
• Interventions do not take into account the socio-economic context.
• The system is more focused on response and protection than prevention. Prevention programs are infrequent, not regular nor systematic, and often have small coverage.
• Parenting and family support programs are weak or non-existent.
• There is no evaluation of the effects of displacement of children from families nor an assessment of possible alternative forms of protection prior to the application of this measure. The measure of emergency placement in foster families is not sufficiently regulated or consistent.
• Despite the deinstitutionalization process, a significant number of children are still put in large residential institutions.
• Institutions and organizations that protect children from violence do not have sufficient human or financial resources, which makes it difficult to ensure their sustainability.

Key priorities for the next cycle of intervention-oriented policies

1. Establishing a better link between policies and contextualize interventions. It is recommended that the new strategic framework take into account in more consistent and systematic way, structural determinants and socio-economic, cultural and institutional factors.

2. Strengthening key institutional mechanisms. It is recommended to strengthen the main central mechanism for coordinating, monitoring and evaluating policies on violence against children. The Council on the Rights of the Child, if it remains the main national body, should be strengthened by the executive power.

3. Building stronger and more regular system for monitoring the implementation of protocols, the effectiveness of cross-sectoral teams in local communities and the functioning of each individual part of the system of prevention and protection of children from violence, as well as the development and implementation of early warning systems with clear indicators and alert mechanisms.

4. Strengthening the protection system at the local level. It is recommended to develop local action plans and allocate local budgets, and to transfer good local practices to the national level.

5. Raising awareness and working to change societal norms, values ​​and attitudes (continued campaigns of zero tolerance to violence, encouraging non-violent communication, prohibiting violent disciplining of children and promoting gender equality and non-discrimination)

6. Developing support for families with a range of measures and services that will enable prevention, early detection and response, including family worker service; early warning system through pediatric and patronage service; monitoring in the education system; prevention programs that will strengthen parenting skills and programs for treatment of perpetrators.

7. Development of prevention and direct support services, especially for children at risk (children exposed to child labor, child marriages, migrant children,  particularly unaccompanied minors, children living and working on the streets and children in conflict with the law)

8. Accelerating deinstitutionalization, while at the same time strengthening supervision of residential institutions and foster families.

9. Providing and strengthening funding for the system of prevention and protection against violence against children and related programs. The state has a responsibility to persist in its commitment to this issue and it is recommended that the public funds are secured for the successful implementation of the assumed commitments.

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