Violence Against Children and Adolescents in the Time of COVID-19

Abstract

1 The cut-off date for the information used to prepare this report is 31 August 2020 „ Neglect, physical, sexual and emotional abuse, and harmful practices, such as child marriage and early unions, are ways in which the integrity and rights of children and adolescents (any person under the age of 18) are violated (UNICEF, 2015). It has been noted for decades that no country is immune to violence against children, that the different forms of violence can occur in the home, in schools, care or justice institutions, the community or in the digital environment (Pinheiro, 2006) and that 50% of the global population under 18 has been the victim of violence (WHO, 2020a), most of which tends to be perpetrated by family members or people close to them. Such violence affects children differently and may occur in contexts where additional risk factors give rise to other forms of violence. These include violations of the rights of children and adolescents in times of armed conflict (United Nations, 2013), trafficking in children and adolescents (UNODC, 2020) and child labour (ILO, 1999), all of which affects the physical, psychological and social integrity of children and adolescents and limits their possibilities for development.