“Imagine a world without violence! How many of our problems in the world will then be solved? It is the right moment to find the roots of violence against children in our home countries. It is now the right moment for you to admit that harmful practices against children need to be stopped. Hurting children hurts our world”.  (Cora, 17 years speaking to the UN Third Committee).

In 2006, the UN Secretary General’s Study on Violence against Children found that the short and long-term repercussions of the violence faced by millions of children are devastating – including injuries, disabilities, life-long emotional and psychological effects, sometimes death, as well as significant economic and other costs to society.

Save the Children has developed this book as part of a package of learning materials for child rights workers and staff in child rights organisations about relevant measures to protect children. The book is about understanding how we as adults in our various roles as parents and professionals can prevent and protect children from violence.

Understanding child development and the consequences of violence are as important as understanding the concept of child rights, according to this book. A healthy development depends for instance on good quality relationship between the child and significant persons in the life of the child. As such – all adults have a responsibility – morally and legally – to support children’s possibility to express themselves and to influence their own lives.

It is from children themselves that adults have learned the true story of all kinds of violence against boys and girls. The book highlights that getting these dark things out in the sunlight is the first step toward destroying them. Communities have to be able to say: “Yes! Violence is happening among us. We must open our eyes and hearts to end it”! Children are also asserting themselves to be the actors in ending the violence. They no longer want to be a silent victim.
The soft copy of the report is attached. To order a hard copy, write to:
Savita Malla (savitam@sca.savethechildren.se, Regional Advocacy and Communication Officer.