World report on violence against children

The World Report on Violence against Children is the outcome of the first comprehensive global attempt to describe the scale of all forms of violence against children and its impact. Violence is a problem that calls for a multisectoral response. This report approaches the issue from the combined perspectives of human rights, public health, and child protection.

The participatory processes that led to this report brought together the experiences of governments, international organizations, civil society organizations, research institutions, and children. This rich collaborative effort has generated expectations of renewed action. Now, that action is urgently needed.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child forms an international basis for ensuring the rights and protection of children. Yet, in every country of the world, there are children who continue to fear and experience violence. The repercussions of that violence can continue throughout their lives, influencing their development, their behaviors, and their health.

This report asserts that no violence against children is justifiable and all forms of violence are preventable. The commitments made at international and national levels and the accumulated knowledge described in this report give us the necessary tools to protect children from violence, to prevent it from happening in the first place, and to mitigate the consequences.

The World Report on Violence against Children must lead to lasting change. All of us share the responsibility of implementing it.