SEOUL/NEW YORK, 5 March 2021, –, Grammy-nominated group BTS, together with its label Big Hit Entertainment (Big Hit), has renewed its commitment to UNICEF to help end violence and neglect, and promote children and young people’s self-esteem and well-being, in a video released today . The South Korean band, which has partnered with UNICEF since 2017, shared a virtual message…

The Action to End Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation, online and offline, is intended for policy makers and partners. It uses key findings from the UNICEF evidence review to propose a framework of action to prevent and respond to child sexual abuse and exploitation. Options Available options English French Spanish Arabic Russian Portuguese…

This evidence review documents what we know about the extent, nature and consequences of child sexual abuse and exploitation for children in different contexts. It outlines evidence of effective interventions and strategies to prevent and respond to child sexual abuse and exploitation. The findings of this evidence review are summarized in Action…

As daily lives and communities are upended by COVID-19, concern is mounting that children’s exposure to violence may increase. Children with a history of abuse may find themselves even more vulnerable, both at home and online, and may experience more frequent and severe acts of violence. Others may be victimized for the first time. This UNICEF…

NEW YORK, 18 August 2020,  – Violence prevention and response services have been severely disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving children at increased risk of violence, exploitation and abuse, according to a global survey by UNICEF.  Of 136 countries that responded to UNICEF’s Socio-economic Impact Survey of COVID-19 Response, 104 countries reported a disruption…, Notes to editors: , The data presented are derived from UNICEF’s Socio-economic Impact Survey of COVID-19 Response. The survey collected information from UNICEF’s network of 157 country offices between 1 May and 14 August 2020 on disruptions in service provision as a result of COVID-19, including all 138 low- and middle-income countries, plus 19 high-income countries…

GENEVA/NEW YORK, 18 June 2020, - Half of the world’s children, or approximately 1 billion children each year are affected by physical, sexual or psychological violence, suffering injuries, disabilities and death, because countries have failed to follow established strategies to protect them. This is according to a new report published today by the World Health Organization (WHO…, Progress is generally uneven, Of the INSPIRE strategies, only access to schools through enrollment showed the most progress with 54% of countries reporting that a sufficient number of children in need were being reached in this way. Between 32% to 37% of countries considered that victims of violence could access support services, while 26% of countries provided programmes on…, The COVID-19 response and its impact on children, “During the COVID-19 pandemic, and the related school closures, we have seen a rise in violence and hate online – and this includes bullying. Now, as schools begin to re-open, children are expressing their fears about going back to school,” said Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General. “It is our collective responsibility to ensure that schools…, Accelerating action to protect children, WHO and its partners will continue to work with countries to fully implement the INSPIRE strategies by enhancing coordination, developing and implementing national action plans, prioritizing data collection, and strengthening legislative frameworks.  Global action is needed to ensure that the necessary financial and technical support is available…, Editor, ’, s note:, The data for the report was compiled through a survey administered between 2018 and 2019 with responses from over 1000 decision-makers from 155 countries. The INSPIRE strategies launched in 2016 call for the implementation and enforcement of laws; changing norms and values to make violence unacceptable; creating safe physical environments for…, Related links, To watch the launch event taking place on, Thursday, 18 June from 15:00 to 16:30 CEST, , please register at https://bit.ly/2ApZXKa . After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with details on how to access the event. Interpretation will be provided in the 6 UN languages. An 8-year-old girl sits in front of her home at a shelter in the Philippines. UNICEF/UN014958/Estey An 8-year-old girl sits in front of her home at a…

TEHRAN, 28 May 2020-, “We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of Romina Ashrafi, a 14-year old Iranian girl, at the hands of her father. “At a time when families all over the world are staying home to protect themselves from COVID-19, it’s particularly devastating that a child loses her life in such a brutal act of violence. “Nothing justifies violence against…

Armed violence is a complex multidimensional phenomenon linked to high levels of inequality and exclusion and institutional and structural constraints, such as the governance shortcomings; hard-line (mano dura) policies; corruption, lack of participation and transparency; lack of implementation of effective security strategies, weak rule of law,…

In its resolution 18/12 of 24 September 2011 on human rights in the administration of justice, in particular juvenile justice, the Human Rights Council invited the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children to…

Safe and child-sensitive counselling, complaint and reporting mechanisms to address violence against children

Violence against children takes place in every setting, including those where children should be safest – in schools, in care institutions and at home. Like a contagion, violence spreads through communities and is transmitted to future generations. Across regions and countries, it threatens children’s survival and development, erodes family…

Ethical guidelines help to minimize any risk of potential harm resulting from the data collection process, to participants, researchers and others.