3. Violence
International Network
Ten issues for a new mobilization
3. To fight violence against children [34]
To protect against all forms of violence
"States Parties shall take all appropriate [...] 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."Article 19 of the Convention
Violence against children must stop "It is urgent to move from rhetoric to realization. Violence against children must stop. It is simply unacceptable that children are beaten and ill-treated by adults, very often by those they trust more. Nobody can tolerate that children are exploited for pornographic purposes or that they are victim of sexual abuse".Thomas Hammarberg, Human Rights Commissioner, Council of Europe, Launching Conference of the Program "Building a Europe for and with Children", Monaco 5 April 2006 |
31 Children in armed conflicts and children victims of trafficking and sexual exploitation
Two optional protocols to the Convention, adopted in 2000 [35] and widely ratified by States, have been devoted to the involvement of children in armed conflicts, and the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.
NGO coalitions have proved their efficiency in terms of advocating initiatives and exchanging of good practices. For child soldiers, the absence of serious vocational training after their demobilization and of job perspectives has often endangered laudable efforts of rehabilitation. Subsequent frustrations carry heavy threats for the future.
Establish networks for a continent without violence
This program, organised in seven Latin American countries by a network of eight associations coordinated by Bice, allowed adolescents to realise national campaigns against sexual violence and mistreatment. They also trained one another on this subject.
Since then, every year, like in Uruguay, local NGOs organize national "vaccination campaigns against violence" led by children to adults and that are largely broadcasted by the media.
32 Domestic violence
Domestic violence (physical, sexual, psychological, or related to domestic work) is the most widespread form of violence against children [36] and one of the main causes of home abandonment and of the great number of street children.
« It is perhaps within the family context, considered by the majority as the most "private" of the private spheres that it turns to be harder to eradicate and fight violence against children. The right of children [...] to dignity and to physical integrity does not however end at the door of their home and States have the obligation to protect this right within homes. » [37]
A reinforced new scale of public policies must be implemented. Prevention programs addressed to families and youth and carried out by young people turn out to be particularly effective.
33 Violence at school
Although officially banned in 102 countries [38], corporal punishments are still widely diffused in the educational system in Africa, the Middle East, in Asia and in Latin America as well.
Another aspect of violence at school: bullying between children
« During a consultation with a group of children of South Asia carried out in 2005 [39] within the framework of the United Nations Study on Violence against Children [40], the children of Bhutan and Maldives Islands considered bullying as one of the primary problems in terms of violence. In Laos, almost all children report to have witnessed bullying in schools, especially against girls and children belonging to ethnic minorities. In Japan [41], the problem of bullying in schools recently provoked suicides among students [...] ». [42]
It is necessary to facilitate a collective approach in order to refuse violence and intimidation at school.
34 Violence at work
« Violence at work affects millions of young workers in regular or irregular situation [....]. This violence, in the form of physical or psychological ill-treatments, corporal punishments, humiliations, sexual harassments, occurs in particular in domestic work, which represents a large proportion of child labour, especially for young girls. [43] »
Many organizations rely on families and communities for awareness-raising and prevention activities against this form of violence.
35 Violence in the cyberspace
The Asia Position Paper denounces this new form of violence against children which appear in the cyberspace.
Cyberspace dangers for children
"...Adults using Internet for sexual exploitation use it also as a tool to develop their network of trafficking in children [44]. [...] The proliferation of cyber-violence against children is linked to the weakness of laws and to the proliferation of industrial actors who intervene on the net. This is a new phenomenon which will continue to threaten them unless a security system is set up [45]."[46]
International and multidisciplinary initiatives to protect children such as legal measures, cooperation between private and public sectors, educational initiatives, research and awareness rising about the rights of the child in the cyberspace need to be multiplied.
[34] On the question of violence against children, see the conclusions and recommendations of the CRC Day of General Discussion in the report of the 28th session of the Committee of the Rights of the Child, CRC/C/111/, 28 September 2001, § 674-745.
[35] Resolution A/RES/54/263 adopted by the General Assembly on 25 May 2000.
[36] See, the United Nations Study on Violence against Children, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, April 2006, paragraphs 38 to 47, articles 9 and 14 of the Convention as well as the recommendations issued during the Day of General Discussion on the implementation of child rights in early childhood, 17 September 2004, available on the Committee web page: www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/crc/discussion.htm.
[37] UN Study on Violence against Children op.cit., p. 13 §38.
[38] UN Study on Violence against Children op cit p.76.
[39] Consultation with children in South Asia, 17 May 2005
[40] "Violence against Children in East Asia and the Pacific Region: Report on the East Asia and the Pacific Regional Consultation on the UN Study on Violence against Children" 14-16 June 2005, Bangkok, Thailand. http://www.ecpat.net/eng/EAP/documents/VAC_Summary.pdf
[41] Japan's deadly bullying problem http://news.bbc.co.uk72/hi/asia-pacific/6213716.stm.
[42] Asia Position Paper, p. 16.
[43] UN Report on Violence against Children, op.cit. §66.
[44] Article by Mr. Sanphasit Koompraphant, Director of the Centre for the Protection of Child Rights, Bice member organization, Bangkok (Thailand) Asohan, see A. Asohan (2005) "Dark Side of Tourism, the Net", The Star Online, 13 November (quoted in the Asia Position Paper, p.16).
[45] ECPAT International (a world network of organizations fighting against pornography, prostitution and child trafficking for sexual exploitation purposes) (2005) "Violence Against Children in Cyberspace: A Contribution to the United Nations Study on Violence against Children", http://www.ecpat.net/eng/publications/Cyberspace/PDF/ECPAT_Cyberspace_2005-ENG.pdf
[46] Asia Position Paper, p. 16.
