Global Update on Violence Against Children
Published on 04 Nov 2011 in News, Publications, Resources by author
The NGO Advisory Council for Follow-up to the UN Secretary-General’s Study on Violence Against Children (AdCo) released a report entitled Five Years On: A global update on violence against children.
The report revealed that despite numerous commitments and promises by States, millions of children continue to be humiliated, beaten, burned, sexually abused – and even killed – by the adults in their lives, their parents, teachers, caregivers and employers.
Also, despite growth in the number of countries banning corporal punishment, these countries remain to be few. Since 2006, there number of countries prohibiting corporal punishment increased from 16 to 30.
The report comes five years after a United Nations (UN) study documented the magnitude of violence perpetrated against children. It surveyed over 100 separate studies conducted by academic researchers, non-governmental organizations and UN agencies since 2006.
The report’s recent findings include:
- Across 37 countries, an average of 86 percent of children ages 2-14 experience physical or psychological violence in their home each month;
- 78 countries still authorize corporal punishment by teachers; in some countries up to 97 percent of students have been beaten in school;
- Children with disabilities are four to five times more likely to experience violence and sexual abuse than non-disabled children.
- In some countries, like the US and the UK, children are two to three times more likely to be the victims of serious crimes than are adults.
- The known number of juvenile offenders executed worldwide rose by more than 50 percent in the last five years.
NGOs call on governments to immediately implement the recommendations from the 2006 UN Study. In particular, they urge governments to prohibit all violence against children through legal reform, and develop national strategies to address violence against children with sufficient resources for implementation.
Download the Report
The NGO Advisory Council for follow-up to the UN Secretary-General’s Study on Violence Against Children (AdCo) was formed in 2006 to support strong and effective follow-up to the Study. Its central role today is to work closely with the SRSG to ensure civil society participation in the follow up activities. The Advisory Council includes representatives from nine international NGOs: Human Rights Watch, Save the Children, Global Initiative to End all Corporal Punishment of Children, World Vision International, Plan International, Defence for Children International, the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and the Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes (ECPAT) and the Child Rights Information Network (CRIN). Another nine members represent regional organisations.
The United Nations Study on Violence against Children found that violence against children is present in almost all aspects of a child’s life: in their home, in school, on the street, at work, in institutions, and in detention. Children are beaten tortured, sexually assaulted, or even murdered by the very individuals responsible for their care, and many forms of violence are often viewed as socially acceptable.
