Protecting children from bullying
A/RES/73/154
Recognizing that bullying often includes a gender dimension and is associated
with gender-based violence and stereotyping that negatively affects both boys
and girls,
Noting the risks associated with the use of new information and communications
technologies and applications, including increased vulnerability to bullying, while
stressing that they can create new ways to enhance education and, inter alia, foster
learning and teaching on the rights of the child and can be useful tools to promote
children’s protection, including with appropriate guidance from parents and legal
guardians, with the best interests of the child as a primary consideration,
Noting also the role that information and communications technologies play in
reducing the risk of sexual exploitation and abuse, including by empowering children
to report such abuses,
Recalling the obligations of States parties to the Convention on the Rights of
the Child to ensure that parents or, as the case may be, legal guardians, have the
primary responsibility for the upbringing and development of the child as well as to
take all appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to
protect the child from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse,
neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse,
while in the care of parent(s), legal guardian(s) or any other person who has the care
of the child, and recognizing that the child, for the full and harmonious development
of his or her personality, should grow up in a family environment, in an atmosphere
of happiness, love and understanding,
Acknowledging the distinct and important roles that parents, legal guardians,
schools, civil society, sports associations, communities, State institutions and
traditional and non-traditional media each play in securing children’s protection from
the risks associated with bullying, including cyberbullying, and in preventing all
forms of violence, including by promoting children’s online safety,
Recognizing that early childhood is a critical stage for cognitive, emotional and
behavioural development and that the parent-child relationship is a significant factor
in predicting bullying behaviour in adolescents, as well as the existing evidence of a
link between domestic violence and bullying in schools,
Emphasizing that evidence-based initiatives to strengthen children’s life skills
and respect for human rights, tolerance, concern for others and the responsibility to
foster safety, as well as whole-school and whole-community programmes that fully
respect all human rights and help to prevent and address bullying, constitute best
practices that should be developed, strengthened and shared through international
cooperation,
Acknowledging that children are uniquely placed to inform effective solutions
and responses to bullying, and underlining that children’s participation and their
contributions, including their views and recommendations, therefore need to be at the
centre of efforts to prevent and address bullying and that their effective and
meaningful participation is critical to a clear unde rstanding of bullying and its
impacts,
1.
Calls upon Member States:
(a) To continue to take all appropriate measures to prevent and protect
children, including in school, from any form of violence, including forms of bullying,
by promptly responding to such acts, and to provide appropriate support to children
affected by and involved in bullying;
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