Global commitment to end childhood violence made at special event

More than 100 governments around the world have committed to ending childhood violence at a special event hosted by the Governments of Colombia and Sweden together with the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children. 

Over 1000 people attended the first-ever Ministerial Conference on Violence against Children, held in Bogotá, Colombia, including high-level government delegations, children, young people, survivor and civil society allies.

Nine of the 100 governments pledged to ban corporal punishment – an issue that affects three in every five children regularly in their homes. 

Several countries also committed to improve services for childhood violence survivors or tackle bullying, while others said they would invest in critical parenting support – one of the most effective interventions for reducing violence risks in the home.

“Despite being highly preventable, violence remains a horrific day to day reality for millions of children around the world – leaving scars that span generations,” Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General said.  

“Today countries made critical pledges that, once enacted, could finally turn the tide on childhood violence. From establishing lifechanging support for families to making schools safer places or tackling online abuse, these actions will be fundamental to protecting children from lasting harm and ill health.”

Over half of all children globally – some 1 billion – are estimated to suffer some form of violence, such as child maltreatment (including corporal punishment, the most prevalent form of childhood violence), bullying, physical or emotional abuse, as well as sexual violence.  

Violence against children is often hidden, mostly occurs behind closed doors, and is vastly underreported. WHO estimates that fewer than half of affected children tell anyone they experienced violence and under 10 per cent receive any help.

Such violence not only constitutes a grave violation of children’s rights but also increases the risk of immediate and long-term health issues. 

For some children, violence results in death or serious injury. Every 13 minutes, a child or adolescent dies as a result of homicide – equating to around 40 000 preventable deaths each year. For others, experiencing violence has devastating and life-long consequences. These include anxiety and depression, risky behaviours like unsafe sex, smoking and substance abuse, and reduced academic achievement.

Evidence shows that violence against children is preventable, with the health sector having a critical role to play. Proven solutions include: 

• parenting support to help caregivers avoid violent discipline and build positive relationships with their children; 
• school-based interventions to strengthen life and social skills for children and adolescents, and prevent bullying; 
• child-friendly social and health services for children that experience violence; 
• laws that prohibit violence against children and reduce underlying risk factors such as access to alcohol and guns, and; 
• efforts to ensure safer internet use for children. 

Research has shown that when countries effectively implement such strategies, they can reduce violence against children by as much as 20-50 per cent. 

In line with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the first global targets for ending violence against children were established in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. 

Progress in reducing overall prevalence of childhood violence has however been slow, despite gains in some individual countries. 

Around 9 in 10 children still live in countries where prevalent forms of childhood violence such as corporal punishment, or even sexual abuse and exploitation, are not yet prohibited by law.

Notable pledges

• Eight countries pledged to pursue legislation against corporal punishment in all settings  – Burundi, Czechia, Gambia, Kyrgyzstan, Panama, Sri Lanka, Uganda and Tajikistan – and Nigeria in schools.

• Dozens of countries committed to investing in parenting support.

• The Government of the United Kingdom along with other partners committed to launch a Global Taskforce on ending violence in and through schools.

• Tanzania committed to introduce Child Protection Desks in all 25 000 schools.

• Spain committed to pursue a new digital law to promote digital safety.

• Solomon Islands pledged to raise the age of marriage from 15 to 18 – noting that early marriage is a significant risk factor for violence against adolescent girls.

• Many countries made commitments to strengthen national policies and/or develop specific plans to tackle violence against children.

To view all pledges made please see here. More information about the event may be found here.