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Summary: A national event on violence against children was held on 19 April in Mexico City to present the findings of the UN Study on Violence against Children and a national report on violence and health prepared by the Mexican Ministry of Health. The event was organised by UNICEF, The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Pan-American Health Organisation, UNESCO and the Mexican Ministry of Health.
[MEXICO CITY, 19 April 2007] – Thousands of children and young people in Mexico grow up in a context of everyday violence which has long-lasting consequences and ends hundreds of young lives every year. Most of this violence, which includes physical, sexual, psychological violence as well as discrimination and neglect, is hidden and sometimes socially condoned. The high levels of violence in Mexico, and in Latin America and the Caribbean generally, are linked to extreme economic and social inequalities and the “machista” culture which characterises the region. These are some of the conclusions of the UN Secretary-General’s Study on Violence against Children and the Mexican National Report on Violence and Health, which were presented last week in Mexico City. “No form of violence against children is justified and all forms of violence can be prevented. Every country can and must put an end to violence against children. This does not mean simply punishing the perpetrators, but also transforming society’s mentality and the underlying economic and social conditions which are linked to violence,” said Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, the Independent Expert who led the Secretary-General’s Study. The presentation of the Study and the National Report was organised by UNICEF, The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the Pan-American Health Organisation (OPS), UNESCO and the Mexican Ministry of Health. “For many children in Mexico, the violation of their right to protection against abuse and violence is a daily occurrence. It is clear that the violence they suffer at home, at school and in the community, and the violence which exists in society are directly linked, because these are the places where children learn how to deal with conflict. Banning corporal punishment in schools would be an important step forward in this context. We must stop passing on violence from generation to generation: it presents a serious obstacle to democratic and economic progress in Mexico and we must build a more stable and just society,” concluded Daniel Camazón, UNICEF’s representative in Mexico, on behalf of the UN agencies which organised the event. Both studies make recommendations aimed at preventing and eliminating all forms of violence against children, and they are a strong call to governmental institutions and society as a whole to tackle this problem urgently. “For this reason, we are happy to announce the signing of the Statement of Commitment by the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Public Education and DIF (the national social welfare system). The statement commits these institutions to following up the recommendations of both studies,” added Daniel Camazón. National Report on Violence and Health According to statistics presented in the National Report on Violence and Health, between 1979 and 1990 and between 1991 and 2002, respective totals of 7,394 and 7,391 murders of children under 15 were recorded: “This means that in Mexico, for the last 25 years, children under 15 have been murdered on a daily basis.” Among young people between 15 and 19, murder is the second most common cause of death (13.2 per cent) after car accidents (18.3 per cent). In 2005 alone, the National Institute of Statistics, Geography and Information Technology recorded a total of 677 deaths caused by murders between young people in this age group. According to the Institute, 56 per cent of women between 15 and 19 who live with a partner have suffered at least one violent incident in the last 12 months. Surveys with children themselves, which are cited in the National Report, reveal that in reality, most children are exposed to much higher levels of violence than the levels reflected by official statistics. In a survey carried out in parallel to the 2000 elections, 28 per cent of children between six and nine-years-old said that they are treated violently by their family, and 32 per cent said that they had experienced violence at school. The UN Secretary-General’s Study The UN Secretary-General’s Study documents the nature and impact of violence against children and young people on a global scale in five settings: the family, schools, the community, institutions (detention and protective), and the workplace. According to the Study, Latin America and the Caribbean are the most violent region in the world. The murder rate per 100,000 inhabitants among men between 15 and 17 years-old is 37.66 compared with 15.64 in Africa and 5.72 in Europe. The Study was presented to the UN General Assembly last October by Professor Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, appointed by the Secretary-General as the Independent Expert to lead the Study at the beginning of 2003. A global process of information collection began through regional consultations and analysis, with a high level of participation by children and young people. UNICEF, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the World Health Organisation, and a panel of international NGOs, including Save the Children, supported the Study process from the outset. In Latin America and the Caribbean, two regional consultations were organised with more than 300 government representatives and children and young people. Recommendations of the Studies The National Report presents a set of recommendations about how to tackle violence against children in Mexico. These include drafting a national plan of action to prevent all forms of violence, strictly monitoring compliance with national laws and international treaties which protect children and young people from all forms of violence, as well as improving coverage and quality of services for children who have been victims of violence. The UN Secretary-General’s Study presents general and specific recommendations which call for immediate action. They are primarily aimed at governments who must take action with the support of UN agencies, civil society organisations, regional organisations, professional and community associations, parents and children themselves. The Study recommends that governments establish a national strategy to prevent and combat violence, appoint a high-ranking minister to be responsible for coordinating and improving data collection of violence against children. The Study calls for governmental institutions to prioritise banning all forms of violence against children, including corporal punishment. The Study emphasises that children’s participation is essential for designing effective prevention strategies and protection and rehabilitation services. For more information, contact: OHCHR: +52 55 5061 6374: Rosa Gutiérrez, [email protected] UNICEF: +52 55 5284 9530/59: Michael Klaus, [email protected], Amaia López, [email protected] OPS: +52 55 5089 0860: Flor Trillo, [email protected] UNESCO: 5093 1650: Mariana Castro, [email protected]
On the other hand, DIF (the national welfare system) in Mexico City received an average of four reports of child abuse a day between 2000 and 2002. In almost half these cases (47 per cent) the mother was responsible, in 29 per cent of cases the father was responsible, which means that the family - which should be the place best equipped to protect children – can turn into a risk zone for them.
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