 |
||
|
|
|
|
STATEMENTS BY CHILDREN AND THEIR ORGANISATIONS
Increasingly children themselves are speaking out against corporal punishment. This section includes extracts from statements made by children and children’s organisations.
The Global Initiative welcomes additions to this section: please send details to info@endcorporalpunishment.org.
South Africa
The Children’s Charter asserts children’s rights to protection
South Pacific Forum on Children
Statement by child participant
Sweden
Göteborg, Sweden Children’s Summit urges ban
UK
Article 12 children and young people’s organisation statement
The Children’s Charter of South Africa
This Charter, adopted by a representative group of children at the Children’s Summit in Cape Town on June 1 1992, covers protection from violence in Article 5:
- All children have the right to be protected from all types of violence including:
- physical, emotional, verbal, psychological, sexual, state, political, gang, domestic, school, township and community, street, racial, self-destructive and all other forms of violence.
- All children have the right to freedom from corporal punishment at school, from the police and in prisons and at home....".
South Asia
Statement by children and young people to the Regional consultation for the UN Study against Violence against Children, 17 – 18 May 2005, Islamabad, Pakistan
Who we are
We are children from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka who have made this statement. We are 13 girls and 12 boys who have discussed issues of violence against children, which takes place in our countries and in the region. In the last two days we have shared our experiences, concerns and achievements in taking action against violence. We looked at gaps and made recommendations. Our discussions focused on three types of violence: physical and psychological punishment, gender-based violence and child sexual abuse. We then prepared our own initiatives and actions to address these issues.
Where and how children face violence
Physical and psychological violence, gender-based violence and sexual abuse occur in different degrees in all countries in the region. Violence not only has physical consequences, but also psychological/emotional consequences, which might affect children even more severely. Adults seldom listen to children when they talk about abuse. Some forms of violence are considered taboo. For example, if children try to talk about child sexual abuse, adults are afraid that the community will know about it and they might be discriminated against. When children tell their family that they have been sexually abused the family may feel dishonoured and it may even lead to honour killing. If children are abused in school or at home they do not talk to their friends because they feel ashamed about it. Some adults also abuse children for their own pleasure. In other cases, adults think that punishment is good for children and do not see it as abuse. Since many adults themselves were beaten or psychologically punished as children they may believe it is necessary for adults to punish children for the children’s own good. Also, parents may not know different ways of bringing up children. In many countries parents think it is their duty to get girls married at a young age. Young brides may be tortured and harassed by their husband’s family for not understanding family matters. We also discussed many other forms of gender-based violence. When children suffer violence, they sometimes learn to fight violence with violence. This is how cycles of violence are continued.
We also discussed causes of violence
Sometimes cultural, traditional and/or religious practices can be harmful for children. At times, poverty can cause neglect and violence since parents do not have enough money to fulfil their needs or educate their children. Patterns of violence are also reproduced from one generation to another, making a cycle. Adults, like teachers, may lack knowledge of children’s rights or the affect of physical and psychological punishment. Discrimination and unequal power relations in society also make violence against children worse. Some countries do not have laws on violence against children, or their laws may not be enough to protect children. Often children are not aware of how to get legal help. There are not enough counselling and psycho-social services to rehabilitate children who have been abused.
We would like to share some actions taken by children
We can keep a watch
In some countries in the region National Task Forces of Children have been formed. They monitor situations related to violence against children within the country and report to governments and NGOs about it.
We can help
Girls have developed centres to help other girls who are facing problems such as abuse or threat of forced and early marriage.
We are a part of awareness raising
- Street plays are used for making the community aware of abuse by teachers and parents and its negative impact.
- Radio shows, monthly newspapers and movies are made by children for children.
- Child-to-child forums are creating awareness of child rights.
- Children are involved in making visual arts and creating posters.
- Children produce monthly bulletins that are displayed in their clubs and in public places.
- Children have made documentaries on child abuse that have been broadcast on satellite channels.
We recommend
...
End physical and psychological/emotional punishment and promote love and affection for children
- Governments should create national laws against physical and psychological punishment and make systems to implement and properly monitor these.
- Teachers should behave lovingly and affectionately towards children.
- Governments should ensure that laws are widely known by everyone.
- Teachers should be given proper teacher’s training and training on positive discipline and parents given parenting training.
- There should be mechanisms in school and out of school where children can complain about severe punishment.
Reported in International Save the Children Alliance, 2005, Ending Physical and Humiliating Punishment of Children – Making it Happen: Global Submission to the UN Study on Violence against Children, Save the Children Sweden)
International Save the Children report available at: http://www.rb.se/eng/Programme/Exploitationandabuse/Corporalpunishment/1415+Publications.htm
South Pacific Forum on Children
Statement by child participant
In 1993 the theme of the 33rd South Pacific Forum, held in Nauru, was "The State of Pacific Children". One of the participants was 12 year old Karen Abel from Central Primary School in Port Vila in Vanuatu. She addressed the conference:
"I was asked to come here today to talk about what I think children need to have a better future for the Pacific. There are two things which I think are the most important for children. One is good family life and the other is a good education so that children can have good opportunities and get jobs when they grow up.
"It would be good if parents could help their children with their school problems instead of getting angry. They should not hit their children because children will remember it when they grow up and they may do the same thing to their own children. It is not good for children to be afraid of their parents because then they cannot be close to them.
"I think it is important for parents not to be too hard on their children because when they are too hard, it is difficult for children to concentrate on their school work…."
(Vanuatu Initial Report under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, CRC/C/28/Add.8, para. 49)
Göteborg, Sweden Children’s Summit urges ban
A Children’s Summit, held on June 13 2001 in Göteborg, Sweden urged the EU to ensure that all Member States and candidate countries ban all corporal punishment.
"In preparation for the EU Summit Meeting, we about 350 children and young persons aged 11-16 have gathered here today to have our own summit meeting in Göteborg — Our Children’s Summit Meeting.
"During the spring we, pupils from eleven schools in Göteborg, together with some people from Save the Children Sweden, have discussed what we think about and what we want. At the Children's Summit Meeting today we have continued to discuss the things that are important to us. We would like to share our conclusions with others. We believe that what we have to say does not only apply to us, but that it also may apply for many children in Europe. Therefore, we have decided to forward these recommendations to the EU decision-makers…. Human rights apply not only to adults but also to children and young people. We children have our own rights. We consider that this is sometimes forgotten. All Member States of the EU and all candidate countries have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). We believe that every time the EU makes a decision that is of importance for children, EU politicians must remember to compare the proposal with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
"Politicians often refer to us children as being the future of Europe. But we are living right now. - Our childhood is happening now and not in the future. We do not think it is enough for decision-makers (for example politicians and public officials) to speak a lot about children and how important they are. - We want them to listen to us. We want to see action!
"Governments are responsible for living up to the rules in the CRC in their respective countries. We want the following to get through to the EU at the Children’s Summit Meeting:
"All children have the right...
1. Not to be hit
The EU should ensure that a total prohibition against corporal punishment of children is introduced in all Member States and candidate countries. Why should it be allowed to hit children when it is not allowed to hit adults? Adults must convince children to behave properly instead of hitting them…."
(The Children’s Summit Declaration includes seven other demands).
UK — Article 12 children and young people’s organisation statement
Smacking is Assault
As an organisation run by and for children and young people to actively promote the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Child we see smacking and all other forms of physical punishment as totally disrespectful to our rights as human beings.
Physical punishment is the simplest violation of fundamental and basic human rights yet it's a daily experience of most children who live in the UK and across the world.
Children are the only group of people who do not have a legal right to be protected from assault. Babies, toddlers and children by law can be assaulted. The law, our government and our society see it as acceptable to smack and use violence against children.
Despite experts in children’s rights and welfare condemning the UK Government for not outlawing smacking and all other forms of physical punishment, there seems to have been no positive action taken.
We as children and young people live in a society which takes away our social freedoms such as going out at night, the right to vote, being smacked and having to go to school and face bullying, social exclusion and exam failure. Its time for change - children and young people are a valuable part of society with lots to offer. Laws should be in place to protect us, not to give our parents the right to hit us.
Children are being treated like second-class citizens without the same rights adults take for granted. In all of the discussions about smacking the views of children aren't event part of the picture.
Parents often say they smack their children to teach them respect. How can you expect children to respect people who don't respect them? Violence is not something you use against someone you love and respect. Surely if you love someone and respect them you would take the time to explain things?
We believe that even a small organisation like Article 12 can change things for such a large proportion of British Society —children and young people. "We want to make a political statement to the whole world that children should not be smacked or hurt in any way by anyone".
In April 2000 we held the hugely successful Stop Smacking Us! Day. About 150 children marched through central London to demand an end to smacking. This was our response to the Department of Health consultation document ‘Protecting Children, Supporting Parents’ — a document which makes depressing reading.
The view of our organisation is simply that smacking is not something that should happen to children whether their parents think it should not.
Click here to find out more about Article 12: http://www.article12.com