The United Nations Secretary-General’s Study on Violence against Children was a global effort to paint a detailed picture of the nature, extent and causes of violence against children, and to propose clear recommendations for action to prevent and respond to it. The Study marks the first time that the reality of violence against children around the world has been documented, and global recommendations made to stop it. Since 2003, many thousands of people have contributed to the Study in consultations and working groups, through questionnaires and in other ways. Children and young people have been active at every level. On 11 October 2006, Professor Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, the Independent Expert who was appointed to lead the Study, presented the final Study Report to the UN General Assembly in New York in October 2006.

Background

In 2001, the General Assembly (resolution 56/138) requested the Secretary-General to conduct an in-depth study on the question of violence against children, following a recommendation by the Committee on the Rights of the Child. The Independent Expert, Prof. Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, was appointed in February 2003 to direct the Study, in collaboration with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the World Health Organization., and the Study’s Partners. The Secretariat of the Study was based in Geneva. Click here to read the concept paper on the Study which was prepared by the Independent Expert in 2003.

Objectives and scope

The Study focuses on the development of strategies aimed at effectively preventing and responding to all forms of violence against children, outlining steps to be taken at the international level and by States to provide effective prevention, protection and intervention, treatment, recovery and reintegration. It is guided by international human rights treaties, in particular the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the jurisprudence of its Committee on the Rights of the Child and other human rights treaty bodies.

The Study provides an understanding of the nature, extent, causes, and consequences of different forms of violence against children (physical, psychological, and sexual), taking into account five main settings in which violence takes place – the family, schools, care and residential institutions as well as detention facilities and prisons, in work situations, and in communities and on the streets. A range of cross cutting issues are featured including trafficking and exploitation, refugees, separated and internally displaced children, and children affected by HIV. The Study is modeled on the ground-breaking work of Graça Machel in her Study on children and armed conflict, and this element is therefore not a key feature in the present Study; however related issues are addressed.

Strategy

In preparing the Study report, the Independent Expert drew on a variety of sources, such as questionnaire responses from governments, official statistics and other data and information, reports from States parties under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, expert group meetings, conferences, summits and reports from non-governmental organizations. A call for public submissions was made in mid-2004 and resulted in almost 200 contributions on specific topics, in addition to more than 2000 existing reports. In addition, nine regional consultations were held throughout the world during early 2005, and a range of national processes fed into these. The participation of children and young people has been pivotal throughout these processes including through declarations and focus groups and their direct participation at the regional consultations. To learn about inter-agency follow up to the study click here.

Click on the links below to find out more about the following:

• Government questionnaires
• Regional consultations
• Participation of children and young people
• Public Submissions
• Expert and Thematic Meetings

The Study Report

The final Study Report of the Independent Expert to the Secretary-General was presented during the General Assembly on 11 October 2006. In addition, a more detailed publication of the Study Report has been prepared, the World Report on Violence against Children which contains more details, case studies, and best practices, as well as child-friendly materials for children aged 12-18 with the title "Our Right to be Protected from Violence". Save the Children, Sweden also produced child-friendly materials for younger children (under 10years) “Safe You and Safe Me”.

To download the Study Report, please click below: