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Summary: The United Nations Violence Against Children Study recognised the role of child helplines in addressing and preventing violence against children. Since the UNVAC Study was launched, CHI has been following up on the implementation of its twelve recommendations. For the fourth time, CHI presents its Violence Against Children Report. Information was collected on physical abuse, bullying, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, corporal punishment, online abuse and national child protection systems.
The Fourth CHI Violence Against Children (VAC) Report highlights the role that child helplines have in protecting children from abuse and violence. Child helplines allow children to reach out themselves and directly, and to speak up to someone in trust and anonymously. Child helplines are the first point of entry into the child protection system for many children. In countries where the child protection system is porous, child helplines also step up and provide direct intervention, shelter, mediation and rehabilitation services. As a result of the contacts that child helplines receive from children themselves, they have a wealth of knowledge on and insight into the abuse that children around the world experience. This report provides detailed information on the cases of abuse that were reported to Child Helpline International (CHI) member child helplines in 2009. Information was collected on physical abuse, bullying, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, corporal punishment, online abuse and national child protection systems. Abuse and violence Sixty two child helplines (57% of CHI members) provided data on 250,484 reported cases of abuse and violence. Girls between the ages of 10 and 15 years old are the most common victims of abuse in cases reported to these child helplines. Bullying and physical abuse are the most common forms of abuse reported. Thirteen child helplines, mainly from countries with a high HDI level, reported 2,255 cases of online abuse. The majority of these cases were about online bullying, demonstrating that the online and physical worlds are one and the same for children. Comparing data from Connecting to Children on all contacts that child helplines receive and the data compiled in this report shows that children suffering abuse and violence are younger than children who contact child helplines for other reasons. Corporal punishment A majority of responding child helplines indicated that corporal punishment is common in their country. The responses show that if the general population finds corporal punishment an acceptable form of discipline, this is reflected in less legislation protecting children and a perceived higher incidence of children affected by corporal punishment. According to many child helplines, existing legislation is not implemented by police and justice departments as a standard, unless lobbied. Child protection systems More than 80% of the surveyed child helplines provide victims of abuse with some form of follow up, with more than half indicating that they always provide follow up services. Additionally, child helplines are actively involved in prevention projects. Respondents to CHI data collection surveys indicated that governmental agencies, child protection NGOs and social workers are the most common partners for these projects.