MONGOLIAMONGOLIAAccording to statistics from UNICEF on violence in the family, 79% of children aged 2-14 experienced physical punishment and/or psychological aggression in 2005-2006: 37% experienced physical punishment and psychological aggression, 42% experienced psychological aggression only and 1% experienced physical punishment only; boys were more likely than girls to be physically punished (42% compared with 34%). Disabled children were more likely to experience severe physical punishment: 47% of disabled children aged 2-9 were hit or slapped on the face, head or ears or hit over and over as hard as possible with an implement, compared with 40% of non-disabled children. Of girls and women aged 15-49, 20% think that a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife under certain circumstances.
(UNICEF, 2009, Progress for Children: A report card on child protection, NY: UNICEF)
Large scale comparative research into the views and experiences of 3,322 children and 1,000 adults in 8 countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific (Cambodia, Fiji, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Mongolia, Philippines, Republic of Korea and Viet Nam) was carried out by Save the Children in 2005. The research in Mongolia involved 607 children from urban, semi-urban and rural areas, and 40 adults. Methods used included research diaries, drawings, body maps, attitude survey, sentence completion, and discussions. Physical punishments mentioned by children in Mongolia included slapping, hitting with implements, forcing to the ground, beating with a rubber baton, pinching, grabbing, pulling hair, and scratching. The prevalence of hitting as a punishment for children aged 10-13 years was 45.6%, other direct assault 5%, indirect assault 9%, deliberate neglect 1.2%, and verbal attack 33.8%. Of those from urban areas who were hit, 70.4% were hit with an implement, 21.4% were slapped with the hand, and 8.2% kicked. Reasons for punishment were given mainly as failure of behaviour (30% home, 22% school) and failure of obedience (60% home, 46% school). The study included 55 children in institutions, who mentioned the following punishments: adults stomping on their stomachs, being forced to the ground, having to stand in the hot sun, and being hit with a rubber baton. A quarter of these children reported punishments such as being beaten with a rubber truncheon and having to maintain uncomfortable positions for long periods of time.
(Beazley, H., S. Bessell, et al., 2006, What Children Say: Results of comparative research on the physical and emotional punishment of children in Southeast Asia and Pacific, 2005, Stockholm, Save the Children Sweden)
In a survey reported in 2003, 89% of parents and 74% of children agreed that violence is practised against children in families.
(Sandvik-Nylund, 2003, Regional Assessment: Violence against children in East Asia and the Pacific region, Bangkok: UNICEF, cited in Nogami, N., 2005, Discipline and punishment of children: a rights-based review of laws. attitudes and practices in East Asia and the Pacific - Save the Children Sweden Southeast Asia and the Pacific, regional submission to the UN Secretary General's Global Study on Violence against Children, Stockholm, Save the Children Sweden)