If one finds it hard to believe that torture is still a common practice in many countries, it is even more difficult to accept that many victims of torture are children. The torture of children remains a widespread phenomenon in the 21 st century.
Children depend on their parents and families for protection, survival, and development.
When torture is introduced into a family, the future development of the child can be severely jeopardized. A child may, for example, be forced to witness the torture of a parent, creating serious psychological problems for the child. These problems are made even worse as, in many cases, parents are unable to cope with their own physical or psychological effects of torture, let alone the effects of the torture on their child. The child may resent its parent because it can no longer feel protected, or it may feel guilty or ashamed that it was helpless to save its parent from harm. Children can also be direct victims of torture.