A/HRC/28/55 progress in crime prevention and in law reform, policy development and practical implementation. 14. The Model Strategies address crucial challenges for children’s protection from violence in the criminal justice system. Misperceptions and widespread prejudice towards marginalized groups of children continue to fuel incidents of violence and re-victimization. Those children are frequently perceived as responsible for serious crimes and high rates of criminality, and deserving of harsh sanctions and lengthy periods of detention. Yet available data indicate that children are not predominant in crimes statistics and in the majority of cases where they may have infringed the criminal law, it is for minor offences and petty crimes. 15. Gender discrimination and stereotyped gender roles increase the risk of violence against girls, including rape, forced marriage and crimes in the name of honour. Those misperceptions may lead to punitive approaches in legislation, policy and implementation. 16. In some communities, superstitious beliefs towards vulnerable children may lead to accusations of witchcraft and in turn to serious acts of violence, torture and also murder of those children. As a result of fear and social pressure, incidents of violence are often met with impunity. 17. To overcome those challenges, the Model Strategies call for a legal ban on all forms of violence against children, including as a form of discipline, control or sentencing, and for the removal from legislation of any justification condoning or allowing violence. 18. Legislation should equally align the minimum age of criminal responsibility with international standards, and decriminalize status offences and survival behaviours. To ensure that deprivation of liberty is used only as a measure of last resort, legal provisions need to foresee a range of appropriate non-custodial measures for diverting children away from the criminal justice system, such as restorative justice, warning, probation and community-based programmes. 19. The Model Strategies call for high-quality basic social services for children, and for programmes that address the root causes of social exclusion and inequity. States need strong child protection systems and effective institutional cooperation between all relevant sectors, including child welfare, health, education, social protection, law enforcement and criminal justice agencies. 20. The Model Strategies also call for data and research on the incidence and impact of violence on children, as well as on the risk factors, attitudes and social norms that underlie it. Broad public awareness and social mobilization campaigns are also needed, with the involvement of the media, professional associations, community leaders and faith-based organizations. 21. Professionals in the criminal justice system may also share misperceptions and societal attitudes, and they often lack training on children’s rights and ways of securing their protection from violence. All professionals working with children in the formal and informal justice systems should acquire the knowledge and skills to safeguard children’s rights and keep children safe. 22. Children are at risk of violence at all stages of the criminal justice process and in many cases, incidents remain unreported and are not investigated. Child victims may conceal their cases, fearing reprisals or lacking trust in the justice system. The Model Strategies therefore call for strong accountability and enforcement mechanisms to prevent violence, investigate abuses and fight impunity, including through unannounced visits of independent child rights institutions to places of detention. 5