Violence against children takes various forms and occurs in different contexts. It can have serious, harmful consequences in both the short and long term, and estimates of the scale of the problem are alarming. Resulting from a complex interaction of various risk factors, this violence can nevertheless be avoided through effective prevention policies. A number of international instruments have been adopted to safeguard and promote children's rights. The cornerstone in this framework of instruments is the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 19 of which lays down the right of a child to be protected from all forms of violence and the obligation on states to take all appropriate measures to protect children. With the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, protection of children's rights has been explicitly recognised as an objective that the EU has an obligation to pursue. While child protection systems fall mainly within the responsibility of the EU Member States, the EU itself plays an important role too. Its actions have a direct impact on laws and policies implemented at national level. Enhanced cooperation between all stakeholders and the exchange of best practice are the routes taken to address the issue.
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Table of Contents
- 1. Protection of children 7
- 1.1. Vulnerability, rights and protection 7
- 1.2. Child protection systems 7
- United Nations' definition of a child 7
- UNICEF definition of child protection 7
- 2. Violence: Omnipresent and multifaceted 8
- 2.1. What is violence? 8
- 2.2. Definition of violence against children 8
- 2.2.1. Perpetrators of acts of violence against children 9
- 2.2.2. Forms and contexts 9
- At home and in the family 9
- At school and in the educational environment 10
- Within child protection institutions and the services of the judiciary 10
- At the workplace 11
- Within the community 11
- Internet-related risks 11
- 2.2.3. Consequences 12
- Cost of violence in human terms 12
- Economic and social costs 12
- 2.2.4. Extent of the problem 13
- Table 1 – Child deaths in the EU resulting from interpersonal violence; deaths per 100 000 inhabitants, 2021 14
- UNICEF and WHO estimates 15
- Child helplines and contact points 17
- 2.3. The root causes of an avoidable problem 17
- 2.3.1. Risk factors 17
- 2.3.2. Importance of prevention 18
- UNCRC definition of violence against children 8
- Figure 1 – Sex-disaggregated data of child suicides by Member State, per 100 000 inhabitants, in 2021 16
- Figure 2 – Causes of child abuse, as illustrated by the 'ecological' model 17
- 3. Principal international instruments and frameworks 19
- 3.1. The United Nations framework 19
- 3.1.1. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) 19
- 3.1.2. Additional protocols to the UNCRC 20
- 3.2. Council of Europe standards 20
- Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and child protection 20
- 4. How the European Union addresses violence against children 22
- 4.1. Children's rights in the European Union 22
- 4.2. Protecting children from violence 23
- 4.2.1. Political framework 23
- EU strategy on the rights of the child (2021-2024) 23
- EU guidelines for the promotion and protection of the rights of the child (2017) 24
- EU strategy for a more effective fight against child sexual abuse (2020-2025) 24
- Commission recommendation on integrated child protection systems 24
- 4.2.2. Key legislative measures 25
- 4.2.3. The role of the European Parliament 26
- 4.3. National approaches 27
- The Daphne programme 23
- EU guidelines for the protection of children 25
- 5. Outlook 28
