ABSTRACT
Introduction .......................................................................................................... 34 Proactive Prevention of All Forms of Violence against Children: A State Obligation ................................................................................................ 36 The United Nations Model Strategies ................................................................ 38 Prohibiting Violence against Children .............................................................. 39
Criminalizing Specific Forms of Violence against Children ...................... 40 Prohibition of Harmful Practices .................................................................. 40
Comprehensive and Context-Specific Prevention Programs ......................... 43 Preventing Violence against Children in Vulnerable Situations ............... 43 The Risk of Violence against Children Committed by Children............... 44
The Recruitment in Gangs and Extremist Groups ................................. 44 Violence in Schools ..................................................................................... 45
Preventing Child Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation ........ 46 Prevention Planning............................................................................................. 46
Public Education and Awareness Raising ..................................................... 47 Mobilizing the Media ...................................................................................... 47 Challenging Harmful Practices...................................................................... 47
Promoting Research and Data Collection, Analysis, and Dissemination ..... 48 Establishing Effective Detection and Reporting Mechanisms ....................... 49 Offering Effective Protection to Child Victims of Violence ........................... 50 Ensuring Effective Investigation and Prosecution of Incidents of Violence against Children ............................................................................... 50 Enhancing Cooperation among Various Sectors ............................................. 50 Improving Criminal Proceedings in Matters Involving Child Victims of Violence ............................................................................................................. 51 Ensuring That Sentencing Reflects the Serious Nature of Violence against Children.................................................................................................... 51 Strengthening Capacity and Training of Criminal Justice Professionals ...... 52 Preventing and Responding to Violence against Children within the Justice System ..................................................................................... 52
Learning Outcomes After reading this chapter, you should understand
• The many ways in which children can be victims of violence and why the prevention of violence against children must be a priority for action
• The important roles of the criminal justice system and the child protection system in preventing violence against children
• That children are also victims of violence as a result of their involvement in the criminal justice system
• That proactive, comprehensive, context-specific, and sustainable prevention measures are required to address the complex and multidimensional risk factors that increase the vulnerability of children to different forms of neglect, exploitation, and violence
Violence against children takes many different forms: neglect, physical and emotional abuse, infanticide, sexual abuse, rape, trafficking, torture, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment, forced and child marriage, killings in the name of honor, forced labor, and many others (United Nations 2006). It takes place in every setting, including those where children ought to be safe-at home, in schools, or in care institutions.
