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Results for child abuse and neglect (moldova)

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Author: KidsRights

Title: No Place To Hide: Physical Child Abuse in a global context, with a focus on Moldova

Summary: One in four children around the world suffer from severe and frequent physical abuse, much of it at the hands of their parents in the privacy of their own home. It can leave them with physical and emotional scars, disability or even death. It is a cycle which repeats itself from generation to generation. Violence in the home is often seen by society as an acceptable form of discipline. Corporal punishment is, however, a clear violation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. So far only 36 countries in the world have prohibited corporal punishment by law, and elsewhere it is condoned as a mainstream practice. Non-violent methods of child discipline are far from universal, and in many cases, unheard of. Poverty and economic hardship are key factors in child abuse, creating tension within the family that leads to violence. Poverty undermines the support structures, both formal and informal, that might otherwise alleviate family stresses. However it has been shown that child abuse comes at a financial cost to society. Every 1 invested in preventing violence in Europe produces a social return of $87.60. Moldova is an Eastern European country which gained its independence from Russia in 1991. Poverty is widespread and unemployment high. 23% of the country's income is generated by family members who work abroad and send money back home. Despite a raft of laws and strategies against physical child abuse, including a ban on corporal punishment, UNICEF considers physical child abuse in Moldova to be "a major problem". The organisation has found that one third of the deaths of children under five are caused by violence and injuries. 48% of children aged 2-14 years old suffer physical violence at home (and 59% of 2-4 year olds), and hitting is considered an acceptable form of discipline. Children in Moldova are made more vulnerable by a number of risk factors which include poverty, migration, alcohol use, limited economic opportunities, public tolerance of violence and a lack of knowledge about positive disciplining methods. The government of Moldova is making good progress towards its goals of deinstitutionalisation, replacing large-scale community services with family-based individual care for children. It is in the early years of its Strategy for the Protection of the Child and the Family: 2013 to 2020, and in partnership with UNICEF, the government is currently distributing information about non-violent forms of discipline to 700,000 families. There is a scarcity of data on physical child abuse in Moldova; this is a difficult field of research in general violence in the home is a private practice, and often goes unreported by its victims. More thorough and continuous data-collection is needed, both globally and in Moldova itself. Globally, the factors, which lead to physical child abuse, must be addressed, and children empowered to stand up for their rights. States should strive to change attitudes towards "acceptable violence", and prohibit all forms of corporal punishment. The government of Moldova should make the prevention of child abuse a continuous priority, improving the child helpline, integrating reporting mechanisms, enhancing data collection, and training parents in non-violent methods of discipline. The Strategy for the Protection of the Child and the Family: 2013 to 2020 must be closely monitored and kept in line with developments in best practice.

Details: Amsterdam: KidsRights Foundation, 2014. 26p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 22, 2014 at: http://www.kidsrights.org/Portals/1/About%20us/KidsRightsReport%20Moldova%20Physical%20child%20abuse%202%20def.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: Moldova

URL: http://www.kidsrights.org/Portals/1/About%20us/KidsRightsReport%20Moldova%20Physical%20child%20abuse%202%20def.pdf

Shelf Number: 133086

Keywords:
Child Abuse and Neglect (Moldova)
Child Protection
Corporal Punishment