Publications

This paper gives an overview of the economic case for investing in the prevention of violence against children. It is intended to alert policymakers to the substantial economic and social costs of violence against children and the potential dividend that would accrue from investment in violence prevention. The paper outlines where governments can strengthen and improve engagement in violence prevention in light of post-COVID-19 recovery planning and beyond.

This report provides an overview of the different actions taken forward by children mostly in times of COVID-19, but not limited to it. It looks at children’s diverse roles when helping to prevent, address, and report violence (including supporting their peers); it helps to understand how children are contributing and being part of the solutions when thinking about building back better, and how children are helping accelerate the fulfillment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

More than 1 billion children – half of all children in the world – are exposed to violence every year. It is clear that violence has a severe impact on the mental health of children. Exposure to violence is often traumatic, and it can evoke toxic responses to stress that cause both immediate and long-term physiological and psychological damage. The consequences of violence include depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, borderline personality disorder, anxiety, substance use disorders, sleep and eating disorders, and suicide.

Tens of thousands of foreign, Iraqi, and Syrian children are being held in detention on suspected ISIS association or terror-related offenses, or in camps. These children are exposed to violence, due process violations, and family separation. Securing solutions for these children must be pursued in advance or in parallel with efforts to facilitate repatriation. The UN standpoint is that identified children should be repatriated and children born to nationals be granted citizenship.

The current discourse on violent extremism focuses largely on young adults, thereby overlooking key drivers, influences, and causal pathways that are specific to children. These include children’s biological tendency towards risk-taking and heightened vulnerability to polarized message content. It is also clear that when children become associated with violent extremist groups, this can reflect an age-specific psychological response to their surroundings or circumstances.