A/70/289 the development of a national action plan with an integrated data collection and monitoring mechanism; the development and enforcement of national legislation for the protection of children from violence and abuse; the promotion of non -violent values and changes in perceptions, attitudes and practices through awareness -raising and primary prevention programmes; increased understanding of violence amongst adults and children and strengthened ability to identify and report incidents; building children’s own resilience to violence and the promotion of child participation at all stages; the establishment of a child -friendly reporting mechanism; coordinated multisector systems for the identification, reporting and referral of cases of violence at the national and subnational levels; the development of minimum operating standards, guidelines and protocols to respond to cases of violence for legal, health and social services; schools free from violence and staff members with the knowledge and basic skills to prevent, identify, refer, report and respond to violence; and police investigations governed by child -friendly procedures and police stations staffed by designated female police trained in child-sensitive interviewing. D. Violence as a major concern for children 17. Those major achievements should be welcomed, but greater efforts are needed to overcome the widespread and hidden nature of violence against children. Children endure violence with a deep sense of fear and insecurity when they witness it and when they experience neglect and trauma and endure intimidation, humiliation, physical aggression, abuse and exploitation. 18. Violence has a cumulative impact on children and the most excluded are the hardest hit, with limited access to basic quality social services for their protection, recovery and reintegration. At times, they are also endangered by harmful social norms. 19. Younger children are at high risk of violence, especially when they are placed in residential care. They are heavily dependent on caregivers f or their development and well-being, and when neglected, injured or abused, they have less ability to speak up and seek support. If they are surrounded by violence and stress, they can suffer long-lasting emotional trauma and harm to their health, includin g irreversible damage to brain development. 20. As children grow, cumulative forms of violence continue to shape their daily lives, with high risks of being forced into early marriage or subject to other harmful practices or exploitative work. In some cases, children endure violence during long periods in detention without ever being charged, sometimes simply for being homeless and sleeping on the street; and in some countries, they may face inhumane sentencing, such as stoning, amputation, life imprisonment or capital punishment. 21. That pervasive pattern explains why violence against children is a major concern for young people. This was captured in the review conducted by the Special Representative, together with civil society partners, of online surveys and more than 80 national consultations held with children around the world on the post -2015 global development agenda. More than 800,000 children joined the process and their message was unambiguous: “Violence is a major obstacle to child development 8/25 15-13244