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Summary: The participation of Argentinian children in the
Regional Consultation on Violence against
Children.
The Participation of Argentinian Children in the Regional Consultation
The participation of Argentinian children in the Latin American Regional
Consultation was coordinated by Defence for Children in International –
Argentina.
The Republic of Argentina is made up of 23 provinces with a population of
36, 260, 130 inhabitants, 49% of whom are male, and 51% are female,
according to the last census carried out in 2001. People under 14 years old
represent 25% of the total population, 57% of these live in poverty, and
25% are indigent (INDEC, 2004) Website: www.indec.mecon.org.
136 children and adolescents between 9-17 years old participated in the
Argentinian National Consultation. They worked in 12 focus groups which
represented the area in which they live (rural-urban); economic situation;
ethnicity and disability. The focus groups were divided according to age
and gender.
It is important to point out that the methodology used in Argentina, which
was designed by Save the Children Norway, is the same as that used
throughout the region, in which 2000 children participated from 17 Latin
American countries.
Information about the working groups in Argentina:
1. Provincia Santiago del Estero (Urban area): young people (male) 15 - 17
years.
2. Provincia Santiago del Estero (Urban area): 13 young people (female)
15 - 17 years.
3. Barrio El Tala - Distrito Quilmes, Province of Buenos Aires: 13 girls 9 - 11
years.
4. Barrio El Tala - Distrito Quilmes, Province of Buenos Aires: 12 boys 9 - 11
años.Barrio El Tala - Distrito Quilmes, Province of Buenos Aires: 12 boys 9 -
11 years.
5. Barrio San Damián - Distrito Hurlingham, Province of Buenos Aires: 13
girls 9 - 11 years.
6. Barrio San Damián - Distrito Hurlingham, Province of Buenos Aires: 11
girls 9 - 11 years.
7. La Matanza, Province of Buenos Aires, Urban area: 12 young people
(male) 15 - 17 years.
8. Chascomús, Province of Buenos Aires, Rural area: Children and Young
People with hearing and motor disabilities: 1 boy, 4 girls, 9 young people
(6 female, 3 male)
9. Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Urban area: 7 young people (female) 16 - 17
years.
10. Barrio Palermo, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Urban (middle
class): 4 young people (male) 15 - 17 years; 8 young people (female) 15 -
17 years.
11. Comunidad Toba de Clorinda, Province of Formosa, of Toba Ethnicity,
Rural area: 10 girls 9 - 11.
12. Comunidad Toba de Clorinda, Province of Formosa, Toba Ethnicity,
Rural area: 8 young people (male) 15 - 17
Generally, children in Argentina reported that most violence takes place
within the family, in schools and in the community. The home is a site of
physical, psychological, and, to a lesser extent, sexual violence. They said
the main causes of violence within the family were the use of drugs and
alcohol as well as parent’s lack of education. In schools they said violence
was a result of teachers’ impatience, poor anger management and
frustration. The children also reported on violence amongst their peers,
which they said was a product of violence in the home and in environment
in which they live. Commenting on violence in their communities, they
mentioned the prevalence of gangs, drug and alcohol abuse and the lack
of places where young people could meet up. They said that the
responsibility for this lay with the State because of the lack of
opportunities, jobs and education. One boy said “It’s the government’s
fault that there’s so much violence in Argentina: it’s the government that
doesn’t look after the children, that doesn’t take charge when it should,
and that the police abuse their positions of power (17 year-old, Buenos
Aires).
Another girl made an appeal to the wealthy and to institutions and
authorities, asking them to listen, that they have a dialogue with the
children. Disabled children said that the most severe form of violence they
experience is discrimination, the lack of ramps in the street, the lack of
awareness of employees on public transport who do not want to take
wheelchairs, the lack of opportunities they have in finding work and the
rejection they feel on a daily basis… One girl from Chascomús said that
sign language should be taught “We are people too and we want to have
some opportunities”.
The children who participated clearly identified the different types of
violence, and made an appeal to the authorities to act on this issue, but
above all else, to listen to them because they have a lot to say…Once more
the children of the world say to the world of adults…LISTEN UP, WE WANT
YOU TO LISTEN TO US, WE NEED A SPACE TO PARTICIPATE…
Owner: Dr. Ingrid Porras JiménezAssociation: Coordinadora Secretaría Regional - Estudio Mundial de Violencia contra los Niños, Niñas y Adolescentes