If
you are...
… a member of Parliament
- Legislate for the protection
of children against all forms of violence,
abuse and exploitation and make sure that
mechanisms are in place for consistent
implementation, and accountability.
- Monitor the situation of children and
ensure that structures to report and respond
to violence are in place. You can suggest
that an independent body for monitoring
child rights is established by law.
- Monitor the consistency of government
policies to protect children from violence
and evaluate their impact on children.
- Make support to families a political
priority and include it in political manifestos.
- Make sure that an adequate budget is
allocated by government for the prevention
of violence against children and for the
protection of victims. Call for prioritization
of specific funding lines that will benefit
children.
- Consult and cooperate with civil society
groups that are working to stop violence
against children and participate in campaigns
to mobilize public opinion. Ensure that
children and young people are also actively
involved in the process.
… a professional
in direct contact with children, such
as a doctor, teacher, social worker, police
officer, caregiver, customs officer or
judge
- Learn how to recognize
early signs of violence and abuse in children
and report cases.
- Break the silence. Engage in dialogue
with your colleagues, and ask for training
on the impact of violence on children
and on appropriate and timely responses.
- Be a role model. Adopt a professional
code of conduct that respects the physical
integrity and dignity of children.
- Challenge social acceptance of violence.
Stimulate societal dialogue on violence
against children, engage parents and children
and activate groups in your community
to find ways to stop the violence.
- Put pressure on policy makers to make
the well-being of children a national
priority.
… a member
of a civil society organization
- Raise awareness about
violence against children. Collect information
on violence and start campaigns for its
prohibition and elimination.
- Monitor government actions and programmes
and challenge politicians to make the
elimination of violence against children
a priority.
- Challenge social acceptance of violence
against children. Stimulate and facilitate
public discussions on violence at community
and national levels.
- Help governments to develop models for
prevention and protection of children
against violence. You can share your experiences,
good practices and lessons learned.
… a parent
or legal guardian of a child
- Be a role model. Make
a personal commitment to positive, non-violent
parenting and encourage others to do the
same.
- Learn how to recognize signs of violence
and abuse in your child, find out where
it can be reported and where you can get
help if it affects your family.
- Help your children to understand their
rights. Ensure that your own children
and their friends are aware of their right
to be protected from all forms of violence,
and have access to the necessary advice
and advocacy to assert that right.
- Break the silence and spread the message
that violence against children is not
acceptable and undermines child development.
- Mobilize people around you. Support
school, community and national campaigns
to prohibit and eliminate all forms of
violence against children.
… a child or a young person
- Learn why violence
is harmful and unacceptable and spread
the word.
- Learn how to recognize different forms
of violence against children and young
people.
- Find out where you can report violence
if you ever become a victim, or if it
happens to any of your friends or neighbours.
- Learn how to protect yourself from abuse
and harm and recognize risky situations
that you can prevent or avoid.
- Speak up about violence that you have
experienced or have witnessed being inflicted
on other children and young people, so
that they can be properly protected or
helped.
- Take an active part in different activities
for children and young people to prevent
and stop violence against girls and boys.
- Remind adults of their responsibility
to protect children from violence and
call them to account if they don’t
act.
- Be a role model. Make a personal commitment
to create non-violent environment for
you and your peers.
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