1 / 24

Violence Against Children by Children – a Growing Concern

Violence Against Children by Children – a Growing Concern. Violence Against Girls in Africa 11-12 May 2006 United Nations Conference Centre, Addis Ababa). Violence Against Children by Children. How do children hurt other children? How many children hurt other children?

megara
Download Presentation

Violence Against Children by Children – a Growing Concern

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Violence Against Children by Children – a Growing Concern Violence Against Girls in Africa 11-12 May 2006 United Nations Conference Centre, Addis Ababa)

  2. Violence Against Children by Children • How do children hurt other children? • How many children hurt other children? • Why do children hurt other children? • Why should we be concerned about this? • How can we end it?

  3. How do children hurt other children? (1) • Violence against children by children themselves is not new • There are signs that certain types of such violence (gun-related, sexual) are increasing • Until relatively recently (the last 10 – 15 years), a distinction was made between “violence” and “just being kids”, with little recognition that the roots of violence perpetrated later by older children and adults begin in early childhood [1]

  4. How do children hurt other children? (2) • Thus, “bullying” was seen as different from and somewhat less harmful than “abuse” • This distinction is increasingly seen as inappropriate • We need to find new, more accurate terminology which reflects the continuum of violence against children – recently “peer abuse” and “peer-on-peer victimisation” have been used

  5. How do children hurt other children? (3) • Peer-on-peer victimisation can include: • sexual abuse • physical abuse and assault • verbal harassment (teasing, name-calling) • intimidation and threat • stealing or extorting from • purposeful exclusion and rejection • spreading harmful rumours • Children have been found to: • emotionally abuse other children • sexually abuse other children • physically assault other children • kill other children

  6. How many children hurt other children? (1) • As many as 20% of children [2] are victimised, with rates of between 14% (Norway) and 19% (England) [3] • The number of victimisers has been reported as 20% [3] • A recent survey conducted by RAPCAN with children aged 6 – 10 found that 68% of learners had been victimised [4]

  7. How many children hurt other children? (2) • The South African Birth to Ten project reported that 38% of the 1,073 children in sample (comprised of all children born in the Johannesburg-Soweto area in a 7-week period in early 1990) had been victimised at school [5] • This study also found some correlation between children who had been victimised and a desire for an occupation in law enforcement, and for revenge for their victimisation

  8. How many children hurt other children? (3) • Around 40% of reported rape in South Africa involves a perpetrator under the age of 18; as around 50% of reported rape involves a victim under the age of 18, it is clear that significant numbers of children are perpetrating rape against other children • At RAPCAN, we have direct information about boys as young as 7 sexually abusing other children

  9. How many children hurt other children? (4) • There is increasing concern about violence within teen dating relationships – statistics are difficult to come by, but prevalence in the USA, for example, is estimated at in excess of 20% [6] • In South Africa, research by cietAfrica shows that large numbers of youth are protagonists of sexual violence [7]

  10. How many children hurt other children? (5) • Children physically assault other children – in April, 2006 in Maryland in the USA, for example, two older girls kicked a five-year old repeatedly in the face before stabbing her [8] • And (although more rarely) children kill other children

  11. Why do children hurt other children? (1) • The roots of violence against children by other children are complex • Basically, though, children hurt other children because they see adults hurting each other and children • Our cultures, in general, and despite their enormous diversity, all place high value on dominance and control – on “power over”

  12. Why do children hurt other children? (2) • Children learn that it is OK to bully others into agreeing with them and to “punish” when this does not happen, whether at the level of: • the US invading Iraq • coercing children into armed conflict • men beating their wives • parents and teachers administering corporal punishment to children • everything in between

  13. Why should we be concerned about this? (1) • In an increasingly rights-focused world, there is growing awareness that it is a basic human right to live without the fear of violence • The social and physical environment of childhood is clearly linked to social adjustment in adulthood • Children are indeed the future – a future that will be informed by their present

  14. Why should we be concerned about this? (2) • Childen who perpetrate violence become violent adults • 50% - 70% of adult sex offenders started when they were young [9] • those who perpetrate peer-on-peer victimisation are more likely to perpetrate violence against others as adults [1] • Being a victim of peer-on-peer victimisation can lead to insecurity and a lack of self-esteem, health problems, depression and emotional problems [3]. Children who are victimised sometimes commit suicide [10]

  15. How can we end it? (1) • For the individual victimised child: • listen to the child, encourage the child to express her/his feelings • talk about what underlies victimisation and why it is wrong • help the child think about strategies for dealing with the victimisation • work on self-confidence with the child and encourage self-esteem • report the victimisation and provide greater supervision

  16. How can we end it? (2) • For the individual victimising child: • be absolutely clear that you will not tolerate abusive behaviour • supervise the child more closely • have clear negative consequences • teach appropriate conflict-resolution and negotiation skills • work around the development of victim empathy

  17. How can we end it? (3) • For all children and the future: • recognising that: • youth violence is developmental and early influences are critical • adults need to set the example children need of living without violence • the context in which violence in society arises is complex and multi-layered • we need to develop a systemic prevention model involving everyone at all levels – children themselves, families, schools, communities, civil society and faith-based organisations, local and national government

  18. How can we end it? (4) • Adevelopmental approach has the following characteristics: • a holistic and inter-sectoral approach • flexible interventions for different groups • creation of high levels of personal and community awareness, and the development of interventions with and for specific communities • continuity and sustainability • diversity and diversification of involvement • development of appropriate policy and practice • development of an appropriate legislative framework – which prohibits and sanctions all forms of interpersonal violence, including corporal punishment of children

  19. Thank you Never doubt that a small group of concerned, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has Margaret Mead

  20. Carol Bower Executive Director Resources Aimed at the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (RAPCAN) Tel: +27 (0)21 712 2330 Fax: +27 (0)21 712 2365 E-mail: info@rapcan.org.za Web: www.rapcan.org.za

  21. References 1 Hazler R. Promoting personal investment in ssytematic approaches to school violence. Downloaded 2006/04/22 at http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3673/is_199801/ai_/n8783311/print 2 Dickerson, T Bullying: Children Hurting Children. Information leaflet from the University Health Care Centre, Syracuse, New York 3 Glew G, Rivara F, Feudyner C. Bullying: children hurting children. Pediatric Review 2000;21:183-9

  22. References 4 Dettman M. Bullying in our Schools: Stepping out of the Shadow of Violence. Submitted for publication to Children First 2005. (Available electronically at www.rapcan.co.za) 5 Richter L, Palmary I and De Wet T. The Transmission of violence in schools: Birth to Ten Children’s experiences of bullying. Urban Health and Development Bulletin 2000;3(3). Downloaded 2006/04/22 at http://www.mrc.ac.za/urbanbulletin/september2000/violence.htm

  23. References 6 Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week. October 18 2005. Downloaded 2006/04/22 from http://66.249.93.104/search?q=cache:8xkb-l1EPBsJ:crapo.senate.gov/issues/teen_dating_violence/media_kit/tdvapi_crapo_floor_statement.doc+Mr+Crapo+%22Teen+Dating+Violence+Awareness%22&hl=en&gl=za&ct=clnk&cd=1 7 Andersson N, Foster A,Matthis J, Marokoane N, Mashiane V, Mhatre S, Mitchell S, Mokoena T, Monasta L, Ngxowa N, Salcedo M and Sonnekus H. 2004. BMJ 2004;329:952 8 Father Recounts Attack On 5-Year-Old daughter. April 22 2006. Downloaded from http://www.nbc4.com/news/1498380/detail.html

  24. References 9 Warmbrunn S, quoting Ryan G. Children hurting children: Some sex offenders not much older than (find rest). Downloaded 2006/04/22 at http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4191/is_20000611/ai_n9969876/print 10 Marr, N and Field T. Bullycide, Death at Playtime: An Expose of Child Suicide Caused by Bullying. 2001. Success Unlimited, UK

More Related