Publications

	Children as agents of positive change. A mapping of children’s initiatives across regions, towards an inclusive and healthy world free from violence 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).
	Hidden scars: how violence harms the mental health of children 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.
	Solutions for Children Previously Affiliated With Extremist Groups: An Evidence Base to Inform Repatriation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration 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.
	A Child-Resilience Approach to Preventing Violent Extremism 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.
	When children take the lead: 10 child participation approaches to tackle violence This report draws on 10 case studies to examine child participation experiences related to different forms of violence, spanning initiatives driven by governments, international organizations, and civil society. It zooms in on children’s roles, the methods used, the balance between offline and online, and how each initiative has achieved its impact. It identifies common elements that make child participation effective for violence prevention, reporting, and awareness, offering concrete recommendations for children’s rights-based organizations.
	Children speak about the impact of deprivation of liberty: the case of Latin America The risk of violence faced by children affected by deprivation of liberty has been a priority for the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children since the outset of her mandate in 2009. In an effort to shed further light on the impact of deprivation of liberty on the enjoyment of children’s rights, the Special Representative partnered with UNICEF, the Governments of Paraguay and Uruguay, and the Latin American and Caribbean Regional Platform for Children with a Parent deprived of Liberty (NNAPEs Platform) to document the views and experiences of children affected by the deprivation of liberty.
	Violence against children on the move - From a continuum of violence to a continuum of protection Every minute, 20 people – many of them children – are forced from their homes by violence, persecution, or conflict. While children account for less than one-third of the global population, they make up more than half of today’s refugees worldwide. Recent years have seen growing numbers of children and adolescents on the move, alone or with their families, within and across countries. Some may move by choice, aiming to learn new skills and make good use of their talents, improve their education, or explore new options – often in the world’s growing cities – to reach their full potential
	Keeping the promise: ending violence against children by 2030 This report aims to help us keep that promise to children. It documents what has been achieved to date through collective action, reminds us of the prevalence and nature of violence, sets out the evidence on solutions, and charts a course for accelerated progress. Violence against children is widespread and pervasive but is not inevitable! By placing children at the heart of the 2030 Agenda, and at the centre of all we do, we can realize its noble vision of a world free from fear and violence for all. From foreword by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres Download the publication
	The private sector and the prevention of violence against children in Latin America and the Caribbean The private sector and the prevention of violence against children in Latin America and the Caribbean report presents a set of case studies illustrating how actions by businesses across the region are helping to secure children’s protection from violence, while also pointing out the alarming context of violence against children and adolescents in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our joint publication is a key contribution to the realization of children’s rights and the implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, which has the ambitious vision of a world that invests in its children and safeguards their freedom from violence, abuse and exploitation. This report emphasizes the crucial role that the private sector plays in this new development paradigm. Download the publication Spanish version
	Violence prevention must start in early childhood Ending violence in children’s lives and investing in early childhood are first and foremost a question of children’s rights, further supported by scientific evidence which shows that a violence-free early childhood matters: the first 1,000 days of a child’s life are the foundation for a person’s whole future development. Violence in early childhood is a stressful, painful experience for a child in the immediate term, with the further risk of midand long-term consequences. The optimum physical, intellectual and socio-emotional potential of children depends on receiving loving care and enjoying a nurturing environment from the very start. Scientific research shows that early childhood stress - including exposure to violence - compromises children’s development, health and education, with long-term negative mental and physiological consequences. Neuroscience advances have vastly increased our understanding of how a child’s early brain development can be impacted by exposure to violence. Violence can alter the developing brain’s structure and function which can impact language acquisition and cognitive functioning, resulting in social and emotional competency deficits and generating fear, anxiety, depression and the risk of self-harm and aggressive behaviour. Download the publication Spanish version

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