The UN Study on Violence Against Children (UNSVAC) covered 133 countries and found overwhelming levels of violence against children in all settings. It provides information needed to help prevent all forms of violence against children. The key message is that 'No violence against children is justifiable. Children should never receive less protection than adults.'

Read the report: here.

Read the background on the report: here.

Releases on the study:
1. Violence against children must stop - UN study released
2. Kiwi teen chosen to represent NZ at regional anti-violence study launch

Michael Bendall, NZ's teen representative at the regional launch of the study reports on the meeting's procedings: Michael's blog

Related publications:
1. Violence Against Children Must Stop [Adobe PDF, 784 Kb]
2. Voices Against Violence [Adobe PDF, 3462 Kb]
3. Safe You, Safe Me [Adobe PDF, 1960 Kb] -Child friendly associate publication to Voice Against Violence

Appointment of a Special Representative of the UN Secretary General on Violence against Children

On the 27th of November 2007 the UN General Assembly decided to establish a Special Representative of the UN Secretary General on Violence against Children. Save the Children welcomes this decision, which is an important step forward in the fight against all forms of violence against children. Read more.

Violence against children must stop - Save the Children's response

'Violence against children must stop' is the clear message from Save the Children in response to the UN study. We make 6 key recommendations in response to the report:

1. States should: as a matter of urgency, explicitly prohibit all forms of violence against children, including sexual abuse and exploitation; corporal punishment and all other forms of degrading punishment, in all settings, including the home.

2. States should: develop a national child protection system and allocate sufficient funds to undertake a wide range of measures to prevent (and respond to) all forms of violence against children, including educational and media campaigns, the provision of child-friendly legal, medical and psychosocial services, and disaggregated data collection capable of monitoring the prevalence of violence against children.

3. States should: establish mechanisms for listening to girls and boys with the aim of involving children directly in the design and implementation of policies (and programmes) that address the violence against them. Children’s own actions to address violence should also be supported.

4. States should: do their utmost to minimise the number of children coming into conflict with the law. They should establish comprehensive and child-friendly juvenile justice systems, complying with international standards, which aim to rehabilitate children and divert them away from criminalisation and detention.

5. States should: make particular efforts to promote the active participation of boys and men in ending gender discrimination and violence against children.

6. States should: support the appointment of a Special Representative of the UN Secretary General on the Elimination of Violence against Children, with the mandate and resources required to provide leadership and oversight on this issue.