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Violence against children

There are a number of definitions of violence used depending on the focus and approach taken to it. For example, whether it is defined for legal, medical, sociological purposes. The UN Study on Violence Against Children (2006) definition of violence draws on Article 19 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child: “all forms of physical or mental violence, injury and abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse” as well as the definition used by WHO in the World Report on Violence and Health (2002): “the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against a child, by an individual or group, that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in actual or potential harm to the child’s health, survival, development or dignity."

Violence can be committed by individuals or by the State as well as groups and organisations through their members and their policies. It results not only in fear of/ or actual injury but also in fundamental interference with personal freedom.

Self directed violence: suicide and self mutilation.

Interpersonal violence: All forms of physical, sexual and psychological abuse, neglect and exploitation including domestic violence and other forms of gender based violence.

Collective violence: State violence is one of the primary forms of collective violence and is understood as violence committed, condoned or allowed by the State and its representatives. It includes violence by the armed forces, law enforcement officers and security forces of all kinds but also violence committed by any other State agent. State violence against children include the use of the death penalty and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment including Torture, forced displacement, unlawful imprisonment, extra-judicial killings and executions, enforced disappearances, all forms of violence against children living under the care of the State including children living in institutions and children in detention and penal facilities among other examples. Other forms of collective violence would include violence resulting from internal and international armed conflicts, terrorism, organised crime, but also collective forms of violence targeting specific groups of people such as child infanticide, honour killings, gang violence etc.

Corporal or physical punishment: This includes hitting the child with the hand or with an object (such as a cane, belt, whip, shoe, etc); kicking, shaking, or throwing the child, pinching or pulling their hair; forcing a child to stay in uncomfortable or undignified positions, or to take excessive physical exercise; and burning or scarring the child.

Humiliating or Degrading Punishment: This takes various forms such as psychological punishment, verbal abuse, ridicule, isolation, and ignoring the child.

Documents (786)

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  1. Ending legalised violence against children. Report for Latin America Legal Consultation

    Save the Children Sweden together with the Global Initiative to end all Corporal Punishment of Children have made a detailed analysis of the legislation on corporal punishment in Latin America. This report reviews law and policy in relation to corporal pu

    Publication year: 2005 Publisher(s): Save the Children Sweden

  2. Tradition and rights: female genital cutting in West Africa

    Tradition and Rights is about female genital cutting (FGC) in West Africa. The practice violates the rights of girls to be protected from harm, yet in many communities it is a cherished tradition, defended by women and men alike.This publication describes

    Publication year: 2005 Publisher(s): Plan International

  3. Ending Physical and Humiliating Punishment of Children. Making it Happen. Part 2-Annexes

    This is Save the Children's submission to the UN Study on Violence against Children on physical and humiliating punishment (2005), Part II. It includes the regional submissions that will serve as inputs to the Study. Part I (a separate report), contains r

    Publication year: 2005 Publisher(s): Save the Children Sweden Author(s): Alexandrecu, Gabriela | Bhavani, Y G | Derib, Alebel

  4. Trafficking in human beings, especially women and children, in Africa

    This research covers 53 countries in Africa. It draws a preliminary map of trafficking patterns on the continent and points to emerging good practices in the areas of policy response and legislation. The research took place against a background of lack of

    Publication year: 2005 Publisher(s): UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti Author(s): Rossi, Andrea

  5. What is commercial exploitation of children? Definitions for young people

    Commercial sexual exploitation of children happens when a child is used sexually by an adult and the adult pays to do this with money, gifts or favours. A gift could be food or clothes. A favour could be a promise of good grades, shelter or protection. Co

    Publication year: 2005 Publisher(s): ECPAT International

  6. WOMAN OR CHILD? Voices of teenage girls in the Middle East

    This study investigates the situation of teenage girls aged 12-18 years old in the Middle East with particular emphasis on the issues of participation and non-discrimination. Teenage girls in Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Yemen have been interviewed for

    Publication year: 2005 Publisher(s): Save the Children Sweden Author(s): Ouis, Pernilla

  7. Rapport sur l'application relative aux droits de l'enfant en R.D.C

    Alternative Report to the UN Committee of the Rights of the Child submitted by the NGO Assistance Congo A.S.B.L.(Association de défense des droits de l'enfant), of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The report reflects on the general situation in the Democ

    Publication year: 2001 Publisher(s): Assistance Congo, A.S.B.L. Author(s): Mosailo, Mongoho

  8. Ending corporal punishment- Swedish experience of efforts to prevent all forms och violence against children- and the results

    This publication on the Swedish effort to put an end to all forms of violence against children describes legal reforms and other measures to put an end to corporal punishment, not only in institutions but also in a family context. The report outlines how

    Publication year: 2001 Publisher(s): Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Regeringskansliet, Stockholm Author(s): Hindberg, Barbro

  9. ¿Qué es el Estudio de las Naciones Unidas sobre la Violencia contra los Niños?

    ¿Qué es el Estudio de las Naciones Unidas sobre la Violencia contra los Niños? is a child friendly concept paper of the UN Study on Violence against children. The paper explains the United Nations (UN) Study on Violence against Children and is written mai

    Publication year: 2004 Publisher(s): United Nations | Save the Children International

  10. It's about Disobedience: Oppression in the name of honour. Report from a series of seminars involving the Turkish women’s organisation KA-MER and the Centre for Children and Adolescents in Crisis at Save the Children Sweden

    This report is the result of work at the Centre for Girls in Conflict Between Two Cultures, a unit within the Centre for Children and Adolescents in Crisis. It was set up as a means of using the professional knowledge of psychotherapists to help girls who

    Publication year: 2004 Publisher(s): Save the Children Sweden Author(s): Frenning, Anna

  11. Children & Society, Setting the Agenda, Social Inclusion, Children and young people, Vol. 18

    This paper was prepared collectively by the participants at the final seminar of the series "Challenging Social Inclusion: Perspectives for and from Children and Young People", attended by academics, professionals from voluntary sector children’s agencies

    Publication year: 2004 Publisher(s): John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

  12. Good practices guide for assisting children who were trafficked to sexual exploitation purposes

    Romania has become a sending and transit country for victims of trafficking. Children, women and persons with disabilities are sold and exploited in various countries (former Yugoslavian states, Western and Asian countries). Such a disturbing increase in

    Publication year: 2004 Publisher(s): Save the Children Romania Author(s): Munteanu, Daniela | Nicolaescu, Daniela | Nitulescu, Iulia | Serban, Diana | ...

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