http://www.childhelplineinternational.org/en/Advocacy/vac

http://www.crin.org/docs/2008 VAC report - full colour.pdf

This Violence Against Children (VAC) follow up report provides an overview of the work done by child helplines around the world to implement the VAC Recommendations made in the UN Secretary General’s Study on Violence Against Children in 2006.

In his final conclusions, Professor Pinheiro explicitly recommended that child helplines be used and seen as an important mechanism for the protection of the rights of the child. The implementation of the full set of VAC Recommendations is essential.

Child helplines around the world deal with cases of violence against children on a daily basis. Data collected by CHI consistently shows violence committed against children as one of the key reasons children contact child helplines. According to our 2007 data, abuse and violence accounted for 13 per cent of all contacts that child helplines had with children and young people:

Child Helpline International has been collecting data since its inception in 2003. From then until now, abuse and violence continues to be one of the most important reasons children contact a child helpline.

In the Study on Violence Against Children, Professor Pinheiro recommended child helplines ‘through which children can report violence, speak to a trained counsellor in confidence and ask for support and advice. The vital role of child helplines was reiterated in the follow-up report one year later. In recommendation 18, Professor Pinheiro stated: ‘Another relevant initiative is the creation of children’s helplines, which are dedicated telephone lines or other channels for children and adults to report or discuss concerns or actual incidents.’ The chart shows that contacts made to child helplines on issues related to violence and abuse cannot be ignored. In 2007, nearly 300,000 calls were made to child helplines, in which the caller wanted to talk about violence that had occurred to themselves or a child that they knew

Previous Publication (general) items

• 04/03/2009: USA: Halfway Home - Unaccompanied Children in Immigration Custody
• 03/03/2009: VIOLENCE: Protect the Children! A guide to those working and living with children affected by violence
• 03/03/2009: VIOLENCE: Listening Learning Acting - Preventing and responding to violence against children in homes and communities
• 02/03/2009: U.A.E: Child Rights Reference in the Universal Periodic Review (Arabic)
• 02/03/2009: U.A.E: Child Rights Recommendations of the Universal Periodic Review (Arabic)

Organisation Contact Details:

Child Helpline International
Herengracht 418
1017 BZ Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Tel: +31 (0)20 528 96 25
Email: info@childhelplineinternational.org
Website: www.childhelplineinternational.org

Last updated 05/03/2009 10:36:31

Please note that these reports are hosted by CRIN as a resource for Child Rights campaigners, researchers and other interested parties. Unless otherwise stated, they are not the work of CRIN and their inclusion in our database does not necessarily signify endorsement or agreement with their content by CRIN.