Council of Europe

The European Convention of Human Rights prohibits torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. This right is further protected by The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment which develops standards for the protection of juveniles deprived of their liberty, provides non-judicial preventive mechanisms for protecting young detainees, and regularly visits young offenders’ institutions.3

The Guidelines of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on child-friendly justice aim at improving the justice system and adapting it to the specific needs of children who come into contact with law for family matters (such as divorce or adoption), in administrative justice (for nationality or immigration issues), or in criminal justice (as victims, witnesses or perpetrators of crimes). Child-friendly justice is:

  • accessible
  • age-appropriate
  • speedy
  • diligent
  • adapted to and focused on the needs of the child
  • respecting the right to due process
  • respecting the right to participate in and to understand the proceedings
  • respecting the right to private and family life
  • respecting the right to integrity and dignity.

Three quarters of children aged 2 to 4 worldwide – close to 300 million – are regularly subjected to violent discipline (physical punishment and/or  psychological aggression) by their parents or other caregivers at home, and around 6 in 10 (250 million) are subjected to physical punishment.4
 


The Underwear Rule
About 1 in 5 children falls victim to violence including sexual abuse. This can be prevented by teaching children the “underwear rule” using the child-friendly Kiko and the Hand5 materials. Kiko and the Hand provide also a simple guide to help parents explain to children where others should not try to touch them, how to react and where to seek. 

The International Observatory of Violence in Schools is a non-governmental organisation which carries out research and  disseminates information about violence in schools. Research studies also include the impact of intervention programmes and public policies, and the organisation also helps to draw up proposals for action against violence in schools. 

3 See the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) website

4 UNICEF: A Familiar Face : Violence in the lives of children and adolescents (2017)

5 The Underwear Rule