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SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 15b
- Paragraph text
- [Three countries recently took legislative action to ban violence against children:] Poland. Article 2 of the 2010 Law on the Prevention of Family Violence amends the Family Code (1964) and inserts a prohibition of all corporal punishment in child-rearing: persons exercising parental care, care or alternative care over a minor are forbidden to use corporal punishment, inflict psychological suffering and use any other forms of child humiliation. This important amendment builds upon the national Constitution of 1997, which prohibits corporal punishment;
- 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
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- As highlighted in previous reports, law reform on violence against children is an area that is gaining momentum. When the study was finalized, 16 countries had legislation prohibiting violence in all settings. To date, 29 have introduced such a comprehensive legal ban, in some cases incorporating it into their Constitutions. In some countries, courts have also been instrumental in guaranteeing the right of the child to respect for his or her physical integrity and to freedom from violence, including within the family. Across regions, there are significant initiatives under way to achieve the full legal prohibition of violence against children, and many countries have adopted legislation on specific forms of such violence, including sexual abuse and exploitation, trafficking and harmful traditional practices.
- 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
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- Third, legislation to protect children from violence is by nature complex and wide-ranging. It requires a comprehensive and explicit legal ban to convey an unequivocal message that children's right to freedom from violence must be safeguarded everywhere and at all times. Through constitutional reform or the introduction of new provisions in family and criminal codes and in child protection and domestic violence legislation, this process is gaining ground in an increasing number of States.
- 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
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 33
- Paragraph text
- Moreover, law enforcement has been more effective when such initiatives have been supported with social mobilization initiatives and awareness-raising campaigns (both for the public in general and for children and their families in particular) and supported by the development of ethical standards, capacity-building activities and concrete guidance for professionals and institutions working for and with children. For this reason, law reform initiatives should include a clear plan of implementation, with an estimation of costs and an anticipated allocation of resources to meet them.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- The protection of children from violence was central to the above high-level discussions. The Beijing Declaration adopted at the Meeting calls for a systematic approach to addressing child protection concerns on the basis of laws and policies that safeguard children from potential harm and ban all forms of violence against children. It also expresses the commitment to strengthen adequately-resourced national child protection and welfare systems and mechanisms, including the prevention of violence, the establishment of timely and appropriate responses and the mitigation of impact on children and their families of such protection concerns. A follow-up process has also been anticipated, and a ministerial meeting will be held in India, in 2013.
- 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
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 62
- Paragraph text
- On 17 November 2010, the Committee of Ministers of the Council adopted the Guidelines on Child-Friendly Justice, to ensure children's access to a justice system that is age-sensitive, speedy, diligent and respectful of the rights of the child, and to protect those involved from harm, intimidation and secondary victimization. The Guidelines establish important standards to inform counselling, reporting and complaint mechanisms for incidents of violence. They provide a key reference for the Council's Campaign to Stop Sexual Violence of Children, launched with the Special Representative in late November 2010. The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness and offer knowledge and advice to families and children on the prevention and reporting of incidents of sexual 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
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 102
- Paragraph text
- The conference addressed critical issues for the Central and Eastern European region, including strengthening violence prevention through the revision of national childcare standards and policies; providing family-friendly services to prevent violence and the separation of children from their families as a result of violent behaviour; promoting child-friendly counselling, reporting, complaint and referral systems and mechanisms within institutions hosting children; and developing comprehensive reintegration and rehabilitation programmes for child victims, witnesses and perpetrators 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
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 23
- Paragraph text
- Thirdly, legislation to protect children from violence is by nature complex and wide-ranging. It requires a comprehensive and explicit legal ban to convey an unequivocal message of the imperative to safeguard children's right to freedom from violence, everywhere and at all times. Through constitutional reform, or the introduction of new provisions in family and criminal codes, in child protection and domestic violence legislation, this process is gaining ground in an increasing number of States.
- 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
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- Similarly, law enforcement has been more effective when legislative processes have been supported with social mobilization initiatives and awareness-raising campaigns (both for the public at large, and children and their families in particular) and supported by the development of ethical standards, capacity-building activities and concrete guidance for professionals and institutions working for and with children. With this in mind, law reform initiatives should include a clear plan of implementation, with an estimation of costs, and an anticipated allocation of resources to meet them.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 55
- Paragraph text
- However, progress remains uneven, with insufficient efforts to develop a cohesive and well-resourced national strategy on violence against children; uncoordinated policy interventions; dispersed and ill-enforced legislation; insufficient investment in family support, in capacity-building for professionals, and in safe and child-sensitive mechanisms to address incidents of violence; and overall, with scarce data and research to break the invisibility of this phenomenon and promote evidence-based decision-making.
- 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
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 71
- Paragraph text
- The Round Table was the first of its kind and became a platform to reflect on lessons learnt and support the development of a forward-looking strategy to prevent and eliminate violence against children at the regional and national levels. As highlighted by the Deputy Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, "combining the various efforts of regional organizations with the critical contribution of the UN family is the best chance we have to create a world fit for 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
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 88
- Paragraph text
- As the current economic downturn confirms, in times of economic crisis the impact of those multiple factors increases. Although initially buffered from the financial crisis, low-income countries soon felt its impact, with a slowdown in international trade, severely stretched Government budgets and uncertainty concerning foreign aid. According to some studies, additional numbers of people trapped in poverty in 2009 ranged from 50 million to 90 million. Vulnerable children are particularly affected, with estimates that, in sub-Saharan Africa, as many as 50,000 infant deaths in 2009 were linked to the global financial crisis. At the household level, insecurity in employment and pressure on resources, including as a result of rises in food and fuel prices, have increased the vulnerability of families with a growing risk of tension and violence.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 6
- Paragraph text
- At the same time, progress remains uneven and more vigorous efforts are needed to develop a national cohesive and well-resourced strategy on violence against children; to promote coordinated policy interventions and overcome the dispersion and poor enforcement of pieces of legislation; to consolidate data and research; and enhance investment in family support, capacity-building of professionals and safe and child-sensitive mechanisms.
- 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
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- Child victims may be personally subject to enforced disappearance or may be born in captivity of a mother subject to enforced disappearance or victimized as a result of the fact that one of their parents, relatives or legal guardians are subject to this human rights violation. Children living and/or working on the street or placed in institutions may also be at special risk.
- 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
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 49
- Paragraph text
- In the context of the criminal justice system, child-sensitive restorative justice may involve bringing together the victim, the offender, his or her parents or guardians, child protection and justice actors, and the community, in a safe and structured environment. Through a non-adversarial and voluntary process, based on dialogue, negotiation and problem-solving, restorative justice aims to rehabilitate and reintegrate the young offender, through helping to reconnect him or her with the community, and ensuring that the offender understands the harm caused to the victim and the community and acknowledges accountability for criminal behaviour and reparation of its consequences.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Youth
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 57
- Paragraph text
- However, progress remains uneven and more vigorous efforts are needed in particular to develop a cohesive and well-resourced national strategy on violence against children; promote coordinated policy interventions to overcome dispersed and ill-enforced pieces of legislation and insufficient investment in family support; and promote capacity-building of professionals and safe and child-sensitive mechanisms to address incidents of violence. The survey also emphasizes the pressing need to consolidate data and research to promote evidence-based decision-making.
- 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
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 73
- Paragraph text
- Despite incremental initiatives to break the invisibility of violence and mobilize action to address it, the global survey confirms that information on violence against children remains scarce and fragmented, with limited data available on the extent and impact of violence against children, risk factors and the underlying attitudes and social norms that perpetuate such violence. As a result, there is a costly impact on child victims and witnesses, their families and society as a whole.
- 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
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- In June 2013, the Special Representative and the Rapporteur on the Rights of the Child of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights met in Washington, D.C., to enhance their collaboration. They agreed to further strengthen their cooperation on children's protection from violence, including through joint advocacy and awareness-raising and the development of thematic reports, including on the right of the child to a family environment, and the impact of organized armed violence on 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
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 84
- Paragraph text
- The process of preparing the Study on Violence against Children proved to be an important catalyst for the development of child participation, a process which in recent years has gained ground and is helping to forge new partnerships among children, parents, researchers, service providers and governmental institutions.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 100
- Paragraph text
- As the current economic downturn confirms, in times of economic crisis the impact of these multiple factors increases. Although initially buffered from the financial crisis, low income nations soon felt its impact, with a slowdown in international trade, severely stretched Government budgets and uncertainty concerning foreign aid. According to some studies, additional numbers of people trapped in poverty in 2009 ranged from 50 to 90 million. Vulnerable children are particularly affected, it being estimated that in sub-Saharan Africa as many as 50,000 infant deaths in 2009 were linked to the global financial crisis. For households, insecurity in employment and pressure on resources, including as a result of increases in food and fuel prices, have enhanced the vulnerability of families with a growing risk of tension and violence.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2014, para. 40
- Paragraph text
- Political support and sound resources are indispensable to achieve this goal. In the same statement, the special procedures also stressed that "inclusive, sustainable and duly funded child protection systems should be established in all countries, supported by sound investment in social protection programmes to address the root causes of child rights violations, to promote universal access to basic social services that help families care for and protect their children, and to safeguard the rights of children in need of assistance and alternative care".
- 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
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2014, para. 51
- Paragraph text
- At the time the report was prepared, more than 1 million children were deprived of their liberty worldwide, most in pretrial detention or for minor offences, and countless children faced violent and degrading treatment throughout the criminal justice process (ibid., paras. 8, 39). Many children are exposed to psychological, physical and sexual violence during arrest and interrogation, or while being held in police custody; they are vulnerable to violence at the hands of staff and adult detainees in detention centres; and they also endure violence as a form of punishment or sentencing. Children also suffer deep trauma when their parents face inhuman sentencing, such as stoning, amputation, capital punishment and life sentencing.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2014, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- One of the strengths of restorative justice processes is that they can be adapted and implemented through various models, such as mediation, conciliation, conferencing and sentencing circles. They apply to children who are victims, offenders or witnesses and promote healing, respect and strengthened relationships; they can be introduced at all stages of the criminal justice process and in a range of other contexts, such as in families, schools, residential care and communities.
- 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
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2014, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- Regional representatives reported on new strategies, legislative reforms, information campaigns and in-depth studies to advance implementation of the study recommendations. Recognizing the crucial importance of early childhood for children's development and well-being, regional organizations and institutions expressed commitment to further strengthen their cooperation to prevent and address violence, abuse and neglect in early years; to raise awareness and document good practices on positive parenting and positive discipline, and on the negative impact of violence on children's development and well-being. They further committed to mobilize political engagement to protect children from violence, neglect and abuse, including through the development of national, multisectoral integrated strategies and comprehensive legislation to ban all forms of violence; to adopt policies and programmes to support families and caregivers in their child-rearing responsibilities and prevent child abandonment and placement in residential care; and to consolidate data and research to inform decision-making.
- 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
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2014, para. 63
- Paragraph text
- The Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act of New Zealand includes a presumption in favour of diversion. Accordingly, offences by children are primarily referred to an FGC, with a view to keeping children away from formal court proceedings.
- 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
- Youth
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2014, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- Variations of the model have been implemented in many countries. In Thailand, for example, family and community group conferencing is an alternative non-prosecution measure for child offenders who have committed crimes warranting a sentence of five years of prison or less; it has helped to significantly decrease recidivism. In this process, the court has an oversight function and may intervene if it considers that the conference and the agreement have not been conducted lawfully and in respect of the rights of the child.
- 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
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2014, para. 73
- Paragraph text
- For the justice process to be truly restorative there must first be sufficient evidence to support the charge against the child (a prima facie case), and the alleged offence must fall within the scope of offences eligible for diversion as defined by the law. The child offender must admit responsibility for the offence and the entire process must be undertaken voluntarily - this demonstrates the offender's willingness to participate in the process and make amends. A child's admission of responsibility must never be obtained through undue pressure or coercion. It is also necessary to obtain the consent of the child's parent(s), guardian or the responsible adult, as well as the voluntary consent of the victim, without coercion or undue pressure, to diversion to a restorative process.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2014, para. 93
- Paragraph text
- Similarly, parents who have assisted their child through a restorative justice process show less inclination to resort to violence as a form of discipline.
- 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
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2014, para. 95
- Paragraph text
- Restorative justice shows very positive results in terms of victim, offender, family and community satisfaction. The parties involved, including child offenders, recognize that they have a greater opportunity to be heard, to enhance understanding of the various positions and to participate in the outcome of the process, while having a greater sense of control over this process. This is an important factor for the effective implementation of restorative justice programmes and helps to make the system more responsive to the rights of all those involved.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2014, para. 104
- Paragraph text
- Children's online protection calls for multidimensional and concerted prevention efforts, effective detection, reporting and prosecution of offences, and assistance to victims, including their recovery and reintegration. National authorities, families, schools, civil society and the corporate sector are key actors in this process, and children's empowerment and active contribution to their own protection lies at the heart of these efforts.
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph