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SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2017, para. 47
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- Children experience horrific scenes: the killing of their parents, the rape of their sisters, the forced disappearance of their friends. They are exposed to street crime and community violence, to systematic threats and extortion, and to the harassment of gang members who mobilize support within the school or in their neighbourhood. In some cases, children are manipulated by elements of organized crime and forced to take part in criminal activity, including acting as watchers in places where drugs or arms are trafficked or where smugglers congregate. If children refuse to cooperate, they may pay a heavy price, and may even risk losing their lives. Marginalized children in communities where such activities take place are locked into a vicious cycle of exclusion, stigmatization and violence, as they come to be perceived as criminals themselves, feared by members of their communities and at times criminalized by the authorities.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2017, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- There has been progress on these issues in Malawi, including the adoption in 2015 of the Marriage, Divorce and Family Relations Act, which increased the minimum age of marriage to 18 years; the Government's commitment, in November 2016, to align the Constitution with that legislation and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child; and the crucial role played by traditional leaders in mobilizing their communities to prevent the early and forced marriage of girls and to ensure their return to school to pursue their education.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Girls
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2017, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- Secondly, international standards require the best interests of the child to be a primary consideration in all decisions affecting the child and at all times: upon arrival in a destination country, during relevant proceedings, or when the possibility of return is envisaged. It is crucial to ensure safe, dignified and child-sensitive age-assessment procedures, and in any case of doubt to provide the special protection every child is entitled to. The same principles should apply when the child's legal status is being established or when a request for family reunification is considered. The appointment of a legal guardian is essential to provide support and to defend the child's best interests at every point.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2017, para. 60
- Paragraph text
- Children's rights are universal, inalienable and interrelated. The right to freedom from violence everywhere and at all times; the right to respect for family unity and to special protection when separated from their families; the right to have any request for family reunification considered in a positive, humane and expeditious manner; and the rights to a legal identity, to liberty and security and to effective alternatives to deprivation of liberty are inherent in the human dignity of every child. Children on the move are entitled to nothing less.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2017, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- The past few years have witnessed growing numbers of children and adolescents on the move, alone or with their families, within and across countries. In 2015, children constituted more than half of the total refugee population, and more than 100,000 asylum claims were lodged by unaccompanied or separated children. More often than not, a child's decision to leave home is an escape strategy to secure safety and protection; to reach a safe haven from political instability, conflict, natural disasters, violence and exploitation. For children on the move, especially those who travel unaccompanied or separated from their families, violence infuses daily life and is often part of a continuum. Fear and insecurity are widespread, and impunity prevails. During a recent country visit by the Special Representative, children repeatedly told her that life was unfair and that they saw their neighbourhood as a ghetto of hopelessness, lawlessness and fear.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2017, para. 50
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- Many children end up in crowded facilities, often together with adults who are not family members. They may find themselves in places with fast-track proceedings, and in fact at high risk of "fast-return proceedings" where their best interests are hardly considered. They may end up confined in airports, at port facilities or on islands; placed in detention centres, prisons or cells for military personnel; and even put in containers with no windows, at times in complete isolation.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2017, para. 51
- Paragraph text
- Their risk of deprivation of liberty is high. Children may be detained by invoking the need to secure their protection from the risk of disappearance or trafficking, or for the purpose of family tracing or to consider the options for return to their country of origin. Detaining these children, which is never in their best interests, is an additional punishment; the desired aims can be achieved in a different way.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2017, para. 99
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- But beyond the impact on individual victims and their families, violence is associated with far-reaching costs for society. It diverts billions of dollars from social spending, slowing economic development and eroding States' human and social capital.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2017, para. 74
- Paragraph text
- In February 2016, the Special Representative supported the launch of the results of the survey in Nigeria, conducted by the Government in cooperation with UNICEF and the Together for Girls partnership. Nigeria was the first country in West Africa to conduct a national survey on such a large scale. In response to its findings, the Year of Action to End Violence against Children was launched, along with a call to action to federal and state ministries and agencies, non-governmental organizations, faith-based organizations, the media, communities, parents and children to join together to prevent and respond to violence against children. As a key contribution to this process, the Special Representative participated in the launch of the campaign and policy agenda to end violence against children in Lagos State; Cross River State launched its campaign to end violence against children on 16 June 2016, the second state in Nigeria to respond to the call to action.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Girls
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2016, para. 92
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- Promoting a safe and peaceful learning environment is a major cultural undertaking that requires leadership and support from Government, including adequate resources, to become a reality. It is crucial to strengthen children's protective environment with the support of all relevant stakeholders, including parents and caregivers, teachers and service providers. No less important is engaging and empowering children themselves. Children need to develop their own capacities as digital citizens and learn solid values and life skills, including being responsible in their actions towards others.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2016, para. 73
- Paragraph text
- Developed by the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum, the Model Law has the potential to inform action to end child marriage. This is an area where incremental progress is being achieved, for example with recent legislative developments in the Gambia and the United Republic of Tanzania. In 2015, Malawi adopted the Marriage, Divorce and Family Relations Act, which raised the minimum age of marriage to 18 years. The social mobilization around that process and the important partnership developed with traditional leaders helped to raise awareness of the new law and achieve important results, including a landmark initiative led by a female traditional chief that resulted in the initial annulment of 330 child marriages in a single district and since then has broken up 850 child marriages and banned the sexual initiation of girls.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Harmful Practices
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Girls
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2016, para. 69
- Paragraph text
- In February 2016, the Special Representative supported the launch of the results of the Nigeria survey, conducted by the Government in cooperation with UNICEF and the Together for Girls partnership. Nigeria was the first country in West Africa to conduct such a large-scale national survey. In response to its findings, the Year of Action to End Violence against Children was launched, along with a call to action for federal and state ministries and agencies, non-governmental organizations, faith-based organizations, the media, communities, parents and children to join together to prevent and respond to violence against children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Girls
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2016, para. 36
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- This is an area where much has already been achieved. In Malawi, for example, the parliament adopted in 2015 the Marriage, Divorce and Family Relations Bill, which raised the minimum age of marriage to 18 years of age. The social mobilization around this process and the important partnership developed with traditional leaders helped to raise awareness of the new law and achieve important results, including a landmark initiative led by a female traditional chief that led to the annulment of 330 child marriages in a single district.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2016, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- In the Asia and Pacific region, the President of Fiji hosted the first region-wide conference on ending violence against children, with the participation of senior government officials, community and faith-based organizations and child protection experts from 15 Pacific island countries. Welcoming the support of the Special Representative, the participants reviewed strategies and programmes to prevent and respond to violence against children, including good practices in service delivery and increased resource allocation and the establishment of family courts and networks for referral and response across the health, education and social welfare sectors. They called for strengthened laws and policies and committed themselves to promoting violence-free families and societies for children in the participating countries.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2016, para. 101
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- To bring this about, it is crucial to provide information and advice to parents, and other adults dealing with children, about existing technologies and practices online, as well as on how children perceive, interact with and navigate the online world. An open dialogue between parents and children, including parents taking time to surf the Internet with their children, guiding and reassuring them and discussing online practices which may present risks, is critical. This dialogue should address the diverse aspects of online behaviour, including sites visited, protection of privacy, and the safe exchange of information and images.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2016, para. 49
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- Online violence is often associated with incidents of abuse generated elsewhere, but the screen does more than reflect the multiple faces of violence that children are exposed to at school, in the community or in the family. ICTs become the entry point to an endless maze of mirrors that multiply its impact, where identifying and protecting victims, investigating criminal activities and dealing with illegal and harmful content become increasingly challenging. Without proper coordination, efforts invested in addressing the various manifestations of online abuse will not match the pace of its proliferation or of continuous and rapid technological evolution.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2016, para. 22
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- The consistency of this work has made it possible for the international community to share experiences, consolidate knowledge, assess progress and achieve significant results in crucial areas. Step by step, child protection systems are being strengthened around the world. More and more social workers and police, education, health, criminal justice, migration and refugee asylum personnel are being trained in early detection and prevention of and response to incidents of violence and to listen to and follow up on children's testimonies about violence in their lives. Incrementally, children and their families are gaining access to counselling and legal advice and representation to address incidents of violence.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2016, para. 109
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- In other cases, a non-jurisdictional mechanism has been put in place. In Chile, inter-institutional commissions of supervision have been established throughout the country under the auspices of the Ministry of Justice. With the participation of representatives from the judiciary, academia and civil society, as well as UNICEF, the commissions operate by consensus and their recommendations are made public and available online. In Colombia, the National Congress established a commission for the verification of human rights within the juvenile justice system composed of representatives from the Ministries of Justice and Law and of Education, the Colombian Family Welfare Institute and the National Planning Department. In both countries, monitoring tasks include interviews with children.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2016, para. 102
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- Schools provide another crucial dimension of this process. When a "whole-school" approach is promoted, it opens up new opportunities to inform the preparation and dissemination of clear policies on what is acceptable and what is not; to promote the engagement, awareness-raising and capacity-building of relevant actors, including the senior management of the school, teachers, students, parents and local authorities; to establish child-friendly reporting mechanisms; and to develop a safe, inclusive and tolerant learning environment.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2016, para. 68
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- The vast majority of young people who generate or receive sexts would not tell an adult about it; parents and teachers are considered the last resort for seeking help. While most sexting images are self-generated and distributed on a mobile device, the images move easily from the mobile platform onto social networks, which can result in cyberbullying and online abuse on those platforms.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Youth
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2016, para. 93
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- Important initiatives are being promoted in many countries with this in mind. For example, in Mexico a national campaign focused on raising awareness at the local level on the risks of cyberbullying, supporting parents with information about this phenomenon and helping them to identify and address changes in children's behaviour linked to cyberbullying.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2016, para. 95
- Paragraph text
- In the United States of America, a comprehensive resource for prevention and response was created by the Government. A dedicated siteprovides information on the nature of bullying and cyberbullying, who may be at risk, and how bullying can be prevented and addressed. Alongside advice for parents and children there is information about when and where to report cyberbullying.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2015, para. 53
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- Harmful material and information, including violent, sexually explicit or hateful content, are readily available and may spread quickly, potentially reaching millions in a fraction of a second and remaining in cyberspace for a lifetime. Violence, abuse and exploitation can easily take place in spaces that are not under adult supervision, and parents and caregivers may struggle to keep up with technological developments to monitor children's online activity, especially in countries where digital literacy is low.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2015, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- Significant legislative reforms have been undertaken to prohibit violence in all its forms, including within the family. At the end of 2014, some 45 countries had comprehensive legal bans, triple the number in place in 2006. In order to support implementation, many States have promoted information and social mobilization campaigns, capacity-building initiatives for professionals working with and for children, and initiatives to promote positive parenting and non-violent discipline. That has led to a decrease in the acceptance of the use of violence, and a greater tendency to report incidents of violence.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2015, para. 102
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- The Children's Rights and Business Principles, jointly developed by UNICEF, the UN Global Compact and Save the Children, is the first comprehensive set of principles to guide companies' actions in the workplace, the marketplace and the community to respect and support children's rights. The ITU Guidelines for Industry on Child Online Protection, developed with UNICEF, identify ways for industry to integrate child rights into policy and management; processes for handling child sexual abuse material, establishing safe and age-appropriate online environments; and ways of promoting the positive use of ICTs and online safety education for children, parents and teachers.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2015, para. 79
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- Research on gangs in Honduras has shed some light on factors that lead adolescents to join or leave a gang. Joining a gang is more likely for a young person whose parents are absent for economic reasons, including as a result of migration, and for whom no other authority figure has stepped in. In one group studied, gang members who had lost their parents saw the gang as a replacement family. In another group, gang members were far more driven by financial reasons, regarding the leader as the boss of the business. Overall, the most common reasons for leaving the gang were the birth of a first child, concern about damage being caused to family members, the opportunity to move to a different neighbourhood, commitment to the community and having a spiritual experience.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Families
- Youth
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2015, para. 87
- Paragraph text
- Informed and engaged parents and caregivers who support and advise children on their access to the Internet and their use of ICTs create opportunities for a safer online experience. Taking time to surf cyberspace together, to guide and reassure their children, and to provide age-appropriate rules about online conduct, are crucial dimensions of that process.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2015, para. 97
- Paragraph text
- The family home is most often a place of safety, protection and learning, but it can also be a place where violence is witnessed, endured and reproduced. Raising children in nurturing and non-violent environments, where human rights are respected, helps to prevent armed violence in the community. The support of the State for parents in their child-rearing responsibilities is vital, both through social policies and universal access to basic social services of quality, and through positive parenting initiatives and guidance to caregivers to enhance their skills in child development, non-violent discipline, promotion of gender equality and non-violent masculine identities. That is particularly needed when families fear for the safety of their children, or require support, healing and closed-door mediation to overcome the distress associated with community violence.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2015, para. 69
- Paragraph text
- Governments often lack the resources or capacity to deal with uncontrolled urbanization, or the explosion of informal slums created by migration from poor rural areas to cities. Communities with high concentrations of low-income families tend to have high levels of residential instability, making it difficult for people to develop strong social ties and support networks. Areas lacking basic services, where there is little or no formal institutional presence, become very unsafe. Cities with high levels of economic inequality and endemic poverty are often affected by insecurity, political tension and instability, leading to increased fear and violence, compromising the safety and well-being of children, while deepening their vulnerability and deprivation. That creates a fertile environment for illegal markets, illicit access to weapons and the emergence of criminal gangs.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Movement
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2015, para. 74
- Paragraph text
- As well as victimizing children directly, injuries and deaths from armed violence affect relatives and others in their social circle. The trauma of the loss of parents, loved ones, peers, friends and role models produces profound changes in children's lives. Too often, children living in violent communities must suddenly assume adult responsibilities of caring for siblings, minding the home and going to work, thereby sacrificing their own education and development. Moreover, children may become involved with violent gangs for protection, or to seek revenge against aggressors, thus placing themselves at greater risk.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph