RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES
No. 100

Work Product of the 163rd International Training Course“Children as Victims and Witnesses”

UNAFEIVISITING EXPERT’S LECTURES

Global Situation ofViolence against Children
Dr. Sita Sumrit
Chief of the Women and Children Empowerment Programme
Thailand Institute of Justice

Remember that…
Violence remains the hard reality of children aroundthe globe regardless of economic and social
circumstances, culture, religion or ethnicity
Experiences of violence often overlap and come inmultiple forms
Children can be victims, perpetrators and witnesses toviolence-all at the same time
Realities of VAC are far more confounding andmultidimensional than any attempts to define,categorize or quantify it.

3

RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 100

Also remember that…

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CYCLE OF VIOLENCE
Children who
experience or witness
violence are more
likely to develop
aggressive tendencies
and become
perpetratorsthemselves

10 Facts

about Violence against Children

2

11 in 5of all homicide victims arechildren (approx. 95,000)

are physically punished bycaregivers on a regular basis

34

1 in 3 students

1 in 3 students

Involved in one or more
physical fights

46 in 10 children

experience bullying
on a regular basis

163RD INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSE
VISITING EXPERTʼS LECTURES

10 Facts

about Violence against Children

65
1 in 3adolescents admit to havingbullied others at least once

1 in 4 girls

report being victims of someform of physical violence87
1 in 10 girls

have been subjected to forced
sexual intercourse or other forced
sexual acts (approx. 12 million)

1 in 3 adolescent girls
have been victims of violence
committed by their husbands orpartners (approx. 84 million)

10 Facts

about Violence against Children

93 in 10 adults

believe that physicalpunishment is necessary

10
Half of all girls

think a husband is sometimes
justified in hitting or beating his wife
(approx. 126 million)

5RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 100

Common Formsof Violence against Children

PHYSICAL
violence

SEXUAL
violence

MENTAL
violence

NEGLIGENT
treatment

Common Formsof Violence against Children

Global Situation ViolentofActs

Torture, cruel, inhumanor degrading treatment,
physical bullying andhazing

Violence
PHYSICAL against Children
violence

PHYSICAL
violence

6SEXUAL
violence

MENTAL
violence

PhysicalPunishment
NEGLIGENT
treatment

Any punishment in which
physical force is used
and intended to cause
discomfort, however light

163RD INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSE
VISITING EXPERTʼS LECTURES

Common Formsof Violence against Children
Unlawful or
harmful sexual
activity
Any sexual activities
imposed by an adult ona child against which

SEXUAL
violence

the child is entitledto protection bycriminal law
Childprostitution,
sexual slavery,
trafficking

PHYSICAL
violenceSEXUAL
violence

MENTAL
violence

Commercial
sexualexploitation

Audio or visual
images of childsexual abuse

NEGLIGENT
treatment

Common Formsof Violence against Children
Scaring,
threatening,terrorizing
Insults andhumiliation

Psychologicalmaltreatment,
mental abuse,verbal abuse andemotional abuse

MENTAL
violence

Denying
emotional
responsiveness

Exposure todomestic
violence
PHYSICAL
violence

SEXUAL
violence

MENTAL
violence

NEGLIGENT
treatment

7RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 100

Common Formsof Violence against Children
Lack ofprovision ofbasic
necessitiesNEGLIGENT
treatment

Failure to meetchildren’s physicaland psychologicalneeds and protection
from danger

Lack ofemotional
support andlove
Neglect ofchild’s
physicaland mental
health

Educational
neglect
PHYSICAL
violence

SEXUAL
violence

MENTAL
violence

NEGLIGENT
treatment

Violence against Children

In Various Settings

Home andFamily

8School and
Educational
Settings

Places ofWork

Community

Justice
Institutions

163RD INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSE
VISITING EXPERTʼS LECTURES

Violence against Children

In Various Settings : Home and FamilyCA
USES

Obstructs
Children’s
Growth andDevelopment

Age andSex of theChild
SocioEconomic
Status of theFamily

Cultureand Social
Norms

Physical and PsychologicalViolence

Sexual Violence
NeglectHarmful TraditionalPractices

IM

CausesMentalDisorderPA

Further
Victimisation

TCS

Violence against Children

In Various Settings : School and Educational Settings
CA
U
S
E
S

Permanent
Physical
Disability

Individual
Characteristicsof Children
Lack of
Adequate
Resilience
Building
Lack of
Systematic
Response toViolence

Physical Violence
Sexual/Gender-based
Violence

Discrimination
BullyingI
M

BlocksDevelopmentofSocial Skills

PA

Decreased
Motivation
to Stay inSchoolTCS

9RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 100

Violence against Children

In Various Settings : Places of WorkCChildren areperceived as
weak

Increased Child
Involvement inIllicit Activities

AUS
E
S

UnsafeWorking
Environment
Lack of ChildLabourProtection
Laws

Beating, Whipping,Shouting, Insulting
Excessive/Forced Labour,
Under-Compensation

Children Heldin Bonded
Servitude/
Slavery

Forced into Drugs Trade/
Sexual Exploitation

IM
PA
CTS

Violence against Children

In Various Settings : Community
CAlcohol andOther
Substance
Abuse

AUS

Situations ofUnrest andConflict

ESRapidUrbanisation

Homicide/
Physical Violence
Violence from Intimate
and Dating Relationships

Coerced First Sex
Trafficking of Children

10

Permanent
Physical
Disability/
Death
Decreased
Feelings of
Safety toward
the Community

IM
PA
CTS

163RD INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSE
VISITING EXPERTʼS LECTURES

Violence against Children

In Various Settings : Justice Institutions
CA
U
S
E
S

Permanent
Physical
Disability/
Death

Low Priority of
Reform from
Government
Inadequate
Staffing andLack ofOversight
Lack ofSegregation of
Vulnerable
Children

Physical/Sexual/
Psychological Violenceby Staff/Other DetaineesViolence from Certain
Types of Treatment
Lack of/Inadequate
Care from Officials

ChildrenDevelop
Violent andResistant
Behaviour

Difficult toReturn tothe SocietyIMPACT
S“All forms of violence against children, however light, areunacceptable. […] Frequency, severity of harm and intent toharm are not prerequisites for the definitions of violence.
States parties may refer to such factors in intervention
strategies in order to allow proportional responses in thebest interest of the child, but definitions must in noway erode the child’s absolute right to humandignity and physical and psychological integrityby describing some forms of violence as legally
and/or socially acceptable.”

United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, General
Comment No.13 on the Convention on the Rights of the Child

11RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 100

Social and Economic Costof Violence against Children

Less likely toanticipate
attending college

Dropping
out

Suspension

Lower grades
and IQ testscoresAbsenteeism

Impact on
Educational Performance and Achievement

Social and Economic Costof Violence against Children
Less likely toown assets

Less likely tobe employed

Reduces a person’s
earning potential
by $5,000 per year

Economic Impact on Individuals
12In economic terms,

women appear tobe more severely
affected bychildhood abuse
than men

163RD INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSE
VISITING EXPERTʼS LECTURES

Social and Economic Costof Violence against Children
In 2008, the estimatedlifetime cost of new cases ofchild abuse in the US is

It is estimated that theeconomic cost of childabuse in East Asia andthe Pacific will exceed

which included
lifetime costs of$160 billion$124 billion$210,012 andper abuse
victim whosurvived$1.3
millionper abusevictim who died

Based on economic
losses due to death,disease and health risk
behaviours attributable
to child abuse

Economic Impact on Society

Attitudes and Social Norms

that Perpetuate Violence against Children

Wife beating isjustifiable
Corporal punishmentof children
is necessary
No internationallycomparable data on
attitudes towards childsex abuse currently exist
13

RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 100

Global Efforts

to End Violence against Children

Turkey- Violence against
Children National
Strategy drafted by
the government,
NGOs and children- Training
programme forprofessionals
on intervening inviolence againstchildren cases
Launched theZimbabwe

National Girls’
Empowerment
Framework toaddress sexual
violence,
unintended
pregnancies andHIV among
adolescent girls

Launched a social
media campaign“Time to Sound
the Red Siren”

India

challenging social
norms that sanction
violence against girls

The Prosecutor’s Officeestablished child-friendly

legal services for childvictims of sexual abuse
and their families alongwith the revision of thejustice system and thedevelopment ofprotocols to deal withviolence against children
cases

Bolivia

Policy Recommendations
Supporting parents,
caregivers
andPhysical/Sexual/PsychologicalViolencefamilies
byStaff/Other Detainees

Implementing laws
and policies that
protect children

Helping children
and adolescents
manage risks andchallenges

Providing andpromoting support
services for children
Carrying out datacollection andresearch

Changing attitudes
and social norms thatencourage violenceand discrimination
14