Internet is everywhere. And children and young people are readily using the tools and toys that are available to them online. With increased inter connectivity and global connection, children and young people are going further and faster. But what happens when some of those internet tools and toys are used against children? We are with reports of social media and violence against children, around the world. From children in France and Switzerland to children in the United States and Canada to children in Thailand and Nigeria.
Almost every country that has technology and connectivity available will unfortunately experience issues with violence against children. Issues such as cyber grooming, cyber bullying, sexting, child pornography, or child sexual abuse images, webcam child sex tourism, revenge porn and sextortion. Children are also exposed to violent content, to hateful, damaging or otherwise harmful material, to inappropriate contact, to online grooming, to exploitation and trafficking, to involvement in cyber crime, and unfortunately, more acts of violence against children.
These illegal activities are not restricted to one country. And there are international protective measures in place to keep children safe from online violence. The first of these measures that we will discuss is the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. It went into force on September 2nd 1990. It has 54 articles and although the articles we not specifically written with online violence against children in mind. The Article still does an admirable job of laying a framework for online protection. In 2002 a protocol to the CRC went into force. It is the Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, and it protects the rights and interest of child victims of trafficking prostitution, and child sexual abuse images. All of these crimes now have been made their way to the Internet.
In Europe, we have the European Commission, the Council of Europe as well as the INSAFE and INHOPE networks. Within these networks, there are teams in almost every European country dedicated to online child protection. ECPAT, which stands for End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes, Is the only global network dedicated to protect in children from all forms of commercial sexual exploitation.
In Africa, we have the newly created ACOPEA, African Children Online Protection Education and Awareness Network. Created by Janice Richardson, formally the Unicef co-ordinator. In Australia, there is CyberSmart, a far-reaching government initiative and this is just to name a few.
There are many more international and national organizations doing their best to protect children online. So, before you go, I want you to remember that Internet and ICTs can be positive tools for children, and therefore, the use of Internet is not to be proscribed, rather more education is needed. And awareness needed to tackle the negative fall out.
As you know, the Convention on the Rights of the Child is the most widely ratified human rights treaty in United Nations’ history. Since it’s adoption in 1989, it has been complimented by three important protocols, which can see the critical areas of concern for the realization of children’s rights. Along with other International Human Right instruments, the convection and its protocols provide a firm normative foundation to prevent and address violence against children in all its forms.
The convention introduced a new vision of childhood and indeed, also of human rights. Making clear that each and every child, no matter what his or her age, country or status may be, is a subject of fundamental rights. And all rights, civil, economic, social or cultural are closely interrelated and inherent to children’s human dignity and evolving personality. Alongside, a crucial concern for children’s protection which previous treaties had considered, the convention highlighted children’s fundamental role as actors and agents of change. Individuals who are entitled to the respect for their views, and to benefit from support, guidance, and advice to gain evolving skills and abilities, and exercise their fundamental rights with growing autonomy.
The convention gives high priority to children’s protection from interpersonal violence, harmful environments, negative influences as well as structural protection from discrimination and inequalities. Since the adoption of the convention, the world has steadily moved towards concerted action for the realization of children’s rights. But preventing and addressing violence against children remains an area where much more work needs to be done.
Around the world, millions of boys and girls endure serious acts of violence in their daily lives, in their schools, in their neighborhoods, in institutions designed to ensure they’re care and protection and also within their homes. Children are hit, hurt, threatened, humiliated, exploited, raped, and at times, killed in clear denial of their right to respect for their human dignity and physical integrity.
The impact of violence is often irreversible, damaging the development of the brain, especially in younger children, and severely undermining children’s physical, mental, and social development. In fact, violence is associated with high risk of poor health, poor school performance and in some instances, long-term welfare dependency. But beyond the negative impact on individual child victims and their families, violence generates far reaching economic costs for society. It places a heavy strain on health, criminal justice and social service budgets, and it erodes the fabric of local economies that are impacted by workforce absenteeism, lost productivity, and loss of human capital.
An estimated US $7 trillion is lost each year due to violence in childhood, equivalent to 8% of global GDP. Put simply, violence against children weakens the very foundation of social progress, generating huge costs for society, slowing economic development, and eroding nations’ human and social capital. But very specially, violence severely undermines the realization of all the rights of the child.
In 2006, ten years ago, the United Nations’ Study on Violence Against Children showed that no violence is justifiable, and that all violence can be effectively prevented. Indeed, the new International Agenda for Sustainable Development gives high attention to the abuse, neglect and exploitation of children when it addresses health, education, gender, labor or urban spaces. Amongst the sustainable development goals, it includes a specific target to win all forms of violence against children. This is a real breakthrough and with your help, we can transform this unique momentum into an unstoppable movement towards a world that is free from fear and from violence for all children.
To achieve this, we need constant advocacy and mobilization. But we also need to provide clear guidance to states on the steps that are required to achieve the protection of children from violence. In this regard, there are three important goals that I have constantly highlighted.
Firstly, the development in each country of a national comprehensive agenda on violence against children. An agenda coordinated by a high level institution, and promoted through an effective cross sector collaboration within which all departments and all levels of administration play a crucial role, while keeping a strong cooperation with civil society. Secondly, the introduction of an explicit legal prohibition of all forms of violence in all contexts and at all times. Thirdly, the consolidation of sound data and research to assess the magnitude and impact of violence against children and to provide sound evidence to inform planning and policy and budget area decisions for violence prevention and elimination.
Ending violence against children and ensuring that children’s views are taken seriously, are strongly related, and both depend upon perceiving and respecting children as real people and holders of human rights. Joining hands with children, and taking into account their perceptions, suggestions, and experiences, helps us to gain a better understanding of the hidden face of violence. And more importantly, to become better equipped to prevent its occurrence, to develop child sensitive counseling recovery and reintegration strategies, and to monitor progress and impact.
Shabir Ahmad is a UPSC Aspirant, hails from Raiyar Doodhpathri and writes on current affairs.