It is estimated that over one billion children between the ages of 2 and 17 have experienced violence. Violence against children occurs in every country, regardless of culture, socio-economic status, education, income, ethnicity and race.
Rising global risks are creating the conditions for the increased exposure of children to violence.
Today, children are not only at risk in physical spaces, but also online. As insecurity grows around the world, organized criminal and armed groups, including terrorist groups, are becoming more adept at targeting, recruiting and exploiting children.
And while the world is slowly coming to a consensus on the immediate dangers of climate change, there is little awareness of the impact of extreme climate events and forced displacement on children’s vulnerability to violence.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has supported more than 60 Member States in preventing and responding to violence against children and empowering children to become agents in their own protection since the launch of its Global Programme to End Violence against Children in 2015.
In 2023, UNODC and the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children (OSRSG-VAC) joined forces to launch the'Strategy to End Violence Against Children 2023-2030'. This strategy serves as a vehicle topromote innovation, partnership and coordination; and ensure coherence and consistency in preventing and responding to crime and violence against children.
The vision behind the 'Strategy to End Violence against Children 2023-2030’ is that children all over the world are free from crime and violence.
The Strategy serves as a vehicle to ensure coherence in preventing and addressing serious forms of violence against children, while upholding child rights within broader development, rule of law, and security efforts in collaboration with UN entities. It follows - and contributes to the implementation of - the United Nations Secretary-General, Guidance Note on Child Rights Mainstreaming, July 2023.
Children have the potential to transform societal dynamics and to initiate and promote change. UNODC and the OSRSG-VAC are working together to build a peaceful, inclusive, and just society, in which the role of children is valued and their rights are respected.
Torrential rains last week caused a dam to collapse and flood north-east Nigeria, affecting more than four million people in 14 countries. Over 550,000 hectares of cropland were flooded, compounding an existing food security crisis.
"I have never in my life experienced a disaster as terrible as this," writes Yakura*, a UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Youth Peace Champion. Youth Peace Champions are a network of young leaders dedicated to promoting prevention, rehabilitation and reintegration for children affected by adversity.
Yakura is one of tens of thousands of young people taking action in their communities, organizing rescue efforts and distributing essential food and water supplies.
"So many souls lost, so many properties destroyed. But one thing we still have is our resilience. Our resilience shines through even in the face of adversity," she continues.
But where do resilience and adaptability come from? How can we unlock brain science to leverage the powers of youth creativity and cooperation and overcome the multiple crises faced by Yakura’s community and millions of other young people?
The European Brain Council and partner organizations, including UNICEF and UNODC, are joining forces to explore the ways in which brain health and brain science can reshape and improve policy and practice to support the advancement of humanity and the planet. The two entities are co-sponsoring a two-day summit, held from 19 to 20 September at the 79th UN General Assembly, on adolescent brain development and systemic policy change.
A series of UNODC-UNICEF papers being launched at the summit combine neuroscience and mental health research with data; exploration of community-driven innovations; and voices of youth such as Yakura’s from the frontline of climate change, violence and inequality. The papers highlight the potential that scientific understanding of the adolescent brain has for advancing policy change and protecting and uplifting vulnerable children and adolescents.
As Dr. Joanna Lai, Health Specialist at UNICEF explains: “Adolescents are full of potential but at the same time uniquely vulnerable, especially when faced with adverse experiences. To uplift them, we are advocating for policy and practice change across sectors that is based on a deep understanding of their development, ensuring timely, empathetic, and empowering intervention.”
As communities in North-East Nigeria struggle with the long-term impacts of insurgency, the need to protect children is urgent.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)works in close partnership with the Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe State-level Committees for the Protection of Children from Violence in Contexts of Insecurity to prevent child recruitment by armed and criminal groups - and foster the effective rehabilitation and reintegration of those affected.
Committee members from Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe States gathered in Abuja between 21 and 22 October, 2024 to build their understanding of the experiences of children recruited and exploited by terrorist groups including through exploration of UNODC’s illuminating research study Targeted by Terrorists; and to strengthen their knowledge of the national and international legal and policy framework surrounding the treatment of these children.
Launched in April 2024 with UNODC’s support, the State-level Committees enhance coordination amongst Government agencies, civil society organizations, youth and communities toward the protection, support, rehabilitation and reintegration of child victims of recruitment and exploitation.To this end, the committees have oversight of the implementation of the Nigeria Call for Action at State level. This declaration recognizes the priority of protecting children from the threats associated with terrorism; prevention, rehabilitation and reintegration as key priorities; and the complementarity of security and child rights in any efforts to tackle the phenomenon. The successful workshop concluded with committee representatives announcing their pledge to take ownership of the initiative and ensure its sustainability.
Three Days after the inauguration of new Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto a high-level dialogue on Protecting Children from Terrorism was organized by the National Counter-Terrorism Agency (BNPT) in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, on 23 October 2024 in Jakarta.
The event which was attended by high level representatives from 17 ministries was an opportunity for participating agencies to reconfirm their common vision that all children, in Indonesia and in the world, must be free from crime and violence; and that stakeholders have a shared responsibility to invest in child protection as a prerequisite to eradicating poverty, achieving peace and sustainable development.
The Head of BNPT Police Commissioner General Eddy Hartono emphasized that child association with terrorist groups – which involves children recruited and exploited by these groups, as well as those with links to the foreign terrorist fighter (FTF) phenomenon including those returned from conflict zones - deserves immediate attention and demands comprehensive intervention in line with the identified priorities of the new President.
Ms. Alexandra Martins, who leads the team on ending violence against children in the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Section of UNODC, stressed the urgency of tackling the root causes of child association with terrorist groups; and implementing strategies that provide a bridge between child rights, development, rule of law and security. She stressed the value of evidence-based policies and programmes, and presented key recommendations of the recently published research study entitled “Targeted by Terrorists: Child Recruitment, Exploitation and Reintegration in Indonesia, Iraq and Nigeria”.
Children are often among the most affected by armed conflict, crime and terrorism. They are victims of abduction, trafficking, and sexual and gender-based violence; and are deliberately recruited and exploited by armed and criminal groups. In North-east Nigeria, thousands of children have been abducted, recruited and exploited since Boko Haram began attacks in 2009. State level prosecutors in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe States have a critical role to play in ensuring accountability for perpetrators of these serious crimes against children.
The United Nations office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) brought together prosecutors from each of the North-eastern States for an interactive three-day workshop on the treatment of child victims and witnesses of crime and violence in contexts of insecurity, including recruitment and exploitation by armed groups.
The workshop took place in Abuja from 23 to 25 October 2024 and saw participants engage in focused discussions on how to best protect, respect and fulfil the rights of child victims and witnesses of crime in contexts of insecurity.
Mosul, Iraq, 31 October 2024 – An important milestone has been marked in Iraq's journey toward supporting the rehabilitation and reintegration of children deprived of their liberty for alleged involvement with terrorist groups: the handover of the newly refurbished Ninawa Observation House, a juvenile reformatory in Mosul that hosts approximately 300 children and young people, was held on 30 October.
The handover ceremony was attended by high-level representatives of national and international partners including the Ministry of Justice; European Union (EU); United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and UN-Habitat. The event celebrated the conclusion of concerted efforts to improve the physical infrastructure of the reformatory; and to create a safe and supportive environment that is conducive to rehabilitation and reintegration.
Mr. Radu Butum, Head of the EU Liaison Office, emphasized the importance of the project, stating, “When we focus on the development of these children as individuals, this in turn enhances the well-being and stability of society as a whole. This approach aligns with our vision of achieving security and stability. Our partnership with UNODC and the Iraqi authorities has been invaluable in accomplishing this achievement and we look forward to further collaboration”
Living conditions were improved for 300 children and young people as the newly refurbished “Ninawa Observation House” in Mosul was officially handed over to the Iraq Ministry of Justice, on 30 October 2024, in Mosul.
The handover ceremony, led by representatives from the Ministry of Justice, European Union, UNODC and UN-Habitat, and attended by many national partners, celebrated the capacity of children and young people to flourish when supported and given the conditions to do so in a safe and healthy environment.
The rise and fall of Da’esh in Iraq has been especially destructive for those children recruited and exploited by the group. A large number are currently deprived of their liberty, as a result of their alleged affiliation or association, and are a cause for special concern.
The “Ninawa Observation House” is a juvenile reformatory housing approximately 300 children and young people including those convicted of terrorism-related offences. Its renovation was made possible through the EU funded project "STRIVE Juvenile: Preventing and Responding to Violence Against Children by Terrorist and Violent Extremist Groups" which is led by UNODC in partnership with the Government of Iraq.
“When we focus on the development of these children as individuals, this in turn enhances the well-being and stability of society as a whole. This approach aligns with our vision of achieving security and stability,” said Mr. Radu Butum, Head of EU Liaison Office.
This refurbishment initiative highlights the parties’ joint commitment to ensuring the effective rehabilitation and reintegration of those deprived of their liberty by providing good living conditions; access to education and marketable vocational skills training; health-care, freedom to practice religion; and regular and safe contact with families and with the wider community.
Baghdad, Iraq – On 13 November 2024, refurbishment of theYoung Boys Rehabilitation School (Al-Rashad) was concludedin a handover ceremony attended by representatives from the Iraqi Government, international community and civil society.
A healthier, safer and more supportive environment
The refurbishment of the reformatory was carried out as part of project "STRIVE Juvenile: Preventing and Responding to Violence Against Children by Terrorist and Violent Extremist Groups" which is funded by the European Union (EU) and led by UNODC in partnership with the Government of Iraq. This initiative highlights the parties’ joint commitment to promoting the rehabilitation and reintegration of children and young people deprived of their liberty by improving treatment and environments.
The enhancements at Al-Rashad Reformatory provide healthier and safer living conditions for around 270 children and young people detained, including for terrorism-related offences. They include the creation of four outdoor recreational spaces; the construction of a football pitch equipped with solar lighting; the renovation of eight restrooms; the establishment of a dental clinic and a quarantine room to safely isolate cases of transmissible disease; and the provision of essential equipment for improving access to education, vocational training, sport and leisure. Crucial structural adjustments have also beenmade to prevent flooding in an accommodation hall.
Baghdad, Iraq, 13 November 2024 – The refurbishment of the Young Boys Rehabilitation School (Al-Rashad) in Baghdad was concluded at a handover ceremony attended by representatives of the Iraqi Government, international community and civil society.
The refurbishment of the reformatory was carried out as part of the project titled "STRIVE Juvenile: Preventing and Responding to Violence Against Children by Terrorist and Violent Extremist Groups" which is funded by the European Union and led by UNODC in partnership with the Government of Iraq. This initiative highlights the parties’ joint commitment to promoting the rehabilitation and reintegration of children and young people deprived of their liberty by improving treatment and environments.
“Every success we achieve in rehabilitating and reintegrating a juvenile is a success for the protection of our society and ensuring of a better future for our children”, said Mr. Mohamed Radi Bahr, Director General of the Juvenile Care Directorate under the Ministry of Justice. “We strongly believe that the solution is in rehabilitation and reform, and not punishment and marginalization”.
UNODC and UNICEF premiered their first-ever paper series and advocacy brief during the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79), on 20 September in New York.
The discussion at the Science Summit focused on unlocking the science of adolescent brain development to promote effective policy and practice.
UNODC has officially launched a Network of Youth Peace Champions (YPCs) to strengthen community resilience in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States. The initiative is part of the “Protecting Children From Violence in Contexts of Insecurity, North-East Nigeria,” project which addresses child exploitation by armed and criminal groups by empowering children and youth as agents of change ready to promote prevention, rehabilitation and reintegration in their communities.
On 26 August, 2024, the network was officially launched during a YPC capacity building workshop at Abuja by notable stakeholders including the Honorable Commissioner of Women Affairs and Social Development from Borno State, Zuwaira Gambo, the Honorable Commissioner of Youth, Sport, and Community Development from Yobe State, Barma Shettima, and the Honorable Commissioner of Youth and Sports from Adamawa, Wali Yakubu.
A Unified Response
For more than a decade, the children of Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe have suffered the consequences of insecurity, with many falling prey to recruitment and exploitation by armed and criminal groups and suffering unimaginable trauma. However, a new sense of hope is rising as a group of dynamic young leaders, carefully selected and trained by UNODC, step forward to lead change.
Hon. Barma Shettima enthused “the future of peace lies in the hands of our youth. These champions are our hope, and we are proud to stand behind them as they work to safeguard our communities.”
Social researchers from Baghdad and Mosul gathered between August 13 and 15, 2024 for a three-day workshop and discussions on their work with juveniles in observation houses and rehabilitation schools. These dedicated professionals have unique opportunities to nurture resilience and growth in very challenging environments. Their commitment demonstrates that even in the toughest conditions, humanity and hope can prevail.
The workshop "Psychosocial Assessments to Foster Successful Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Juveniles formerly associated with Terrorist Groups in Post-Trial Facilities in Iraq" was facilitated by UNODC’s STRIVE Juvenile team to tackle the urgent and complex issues regarding juveniles deprived of their liberty in the context of counter-terrorism.
In a nation where the narrative has long been shaped by terrorism, economic hardship, and violence, Nigeria’s young people are flipping the script.
Abuja, Nigeria: “There will be no peace when the child is in pieces.
”Yakura*, a young girl from Nigeria, is tired of being forgotten.
A member of Nigeria’s Youth Peace Champions (YPCs), she and 31 other dynamic young leaders are spearheading a new movement for child protection and community resilience through the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Nigeria is facing several peace and security challenges linked to poverty, non-state armed groups, climate change, and more. The poverty rate reached 38.9 per cent in 2023, while recent UNODC reports outline how terrorism and organized crime, from cultism, drug trafficking, migrant smuggling, and more are becoming a major driver of insecurity.
Coping with these issues would be hard enough for an adult. But children are particularly vulnerable to the long-term harms of conflict or violence – forced to endure the unendurable, compelled to grow up too fast.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Yakura and her fellow YPCs want to change the narrative for themselves and their peers by building resilience and tapping into the immense potential and creativity of a country where more than 110 million people are under the age of 18.
Jakarta, Indonesia – In response to the growing need for robust child protection in the context of counter-terrorism, UNODC partnered with Indonesia's National Counter-Terrorism Agency (BNPT) to host a pivotal Training of Trainers (ToT) event, from 6 to 9 August 2024, in Jakarta. This initiative brought together law enforcement professionals from across the nation, equipping them with the knowledge and skills necessary to safeguard children's rights and well-being in challenging circumstances.
Safety and Support
The event served as a hub of knowledge and collaboration, bringing together law enforcement officials from across Indonesia. These participants, armed with international law guidance, the latest insights, and evidence-based best practices, left the training ready to become trainers themselves. Their commitment ensures that this crucial learning will be disseminated across the country, helping to protect every child who comes into contact with the law. Two follow-up training courses are planned to ensure the sustainability of this programme.
Blog By Dayan Farias Picon, UNODC Legal Officer of the END VAC Team, and Valerie Chmara, UNODC Psychosocial Specialist Support of the END VAC Team
Breaking the Silence: Understanding Corporal Punishment in Detention Facilities
Violence against children, including corporal punishment, is a silent disease often overlooked by society. Culturally accepted physical discipline is rooted in societal misconceptions. Sensationalized media and stigmatization of children - especially adolescents - lead to fears of rising child involvement in crime and violence and calls for harsher punitive measures. Only fragments of a larger problem are addressed.
When people think of violence against children, they tend to think of hitting, smacking, or spanking. However, corporal punishment may also involve kicking, shaking, scratching, and forced ingestion of harmful substances. These acts, frequently dismissed as minor, inflict severe physical and psychological harm.
Justice professionals often genuinely want to help children deprived of liberty, but believe that "tough" treatment including corporal punishment is necessary to correct behaviour. This view fails to recognize the continuous development that children and adolescents go through until their early 20s. Responses to problematic behaviours often involve 'safety,' 'securitized,' and 'zero tolerance' approaches that punish and exclude individuals, overtly or by omission. These disciplinary methods do not typically produce desired results because they are prohibitive rather than supportive of developmental needs such as curiosity, autonomy, and reduced hyperarousal that are served by risk-taking behaviour.
The Brazilian Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MJSP) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) signed a Letter of Intent in Brasilia on 31 July 2024, which aims to bring together government, private sector and civil society actors to address joint efforts to eliminate violence against children and create a protective environment against drugs and crime.
Brazil is the first country to partner with the UNODC and commit to developing a strategy to protect children from drugs and crime. The agreement between the Brazilian Minister of Justice and UNODC aims to develop a multi-sectoral strategy to Eliminate Violence Against Children and to pilot the CHAMPS (Child Amplified Services of Prevention) initiative in Brazil.
The meeting, which was organised by the Ministry of Justice through the National Secretariat for Drug Policy (SENAD) and the Digital Rights Secretariat (SEDIGI), made it clear that drugs and crime pose a threat to peace and security and expose children to heightened risks of violence, including sexual and gender-based violence, online threats, recruitment by organized crime groups, and child trafficking.
Inspired by the Global Strategy to End Violence against Children, launched by UNODC and the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children (OSRSG-VAC) in November 2023, the Brazilian government recognises that the risk and protective factors for children's involvement in drugs and crime are common.
On July 10, 2024, in New York, Delphine Schantz, UNODC Representative, attended the High-Level Political Forum 2024 Official Side Event titled "SDG16: Accelerating Progress to Achieve Justice for Children - Leveraging Insights to Close the Justice Gap."
In her address, Schantz highlighted pivotal moments and initiatives by the UNODC and the END VAC team to expedite achieving Justice for Children.
Watch a two-minute video of key messages, which includes the Strategy to End Violence Against Children, launched by the END VAC team in November 2023.
"What can we do about online child protection? What measures should we take to ensure that the cyberspace is a safe and protective environment for children?
'It's never too late to take action, reassess our strategies, and focus on impactful solutions,” states Alexandra Martins, Leader of the UNODC's End Violence Against Children (ENDVAC) team as she opens a discussion on the critical need for proactive measures to empower and protect children in the online sphere.
The rapid spread of misinformation, disinformation and hate speech in the world today represents a major threat to democracy, rule of law, development and peace.
As we navigate these turbulent waters, our discussions and strategies must evolve to reflect not only immediate risks but also the far-reaching implications these phenomena have on future generations.
Bali, Indonesia — From May 29 to 31, 2024, Indonesia’s National Counter-Terrorism Agency (BNPT) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) jointly organized a cross-regional event to promote children’s resilience to recruitment and exploitation by terrorist groups.
Urgent action requiredto protect children from terrorist tactics
Across the Indo-Pacific region, countries are facing the challengesof child associationwith terrorist groups. Children may be recruited at home, targeted online or follow their families to third countries. Regardless of the different circumstances, once associated with these groups, children are exposed to extreme violence and even death. The stigma and victimization faced by these children extend beyond their exit from the groups. Rejection by communities and even their own families make promoting reintegration into societya challenging task.
The event brought together experts, policymakers, and practitioners from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Maldives and the Philippines to discuss approaches, share experience and highlight the importance of this issue on the global and regional agenda.
"Children play a crucial role in fostering inclusiveness, dialogue, and peace,” said Harsha Sirur, First Secretary at the Canadian Embassy in Indonesia. “Their safety is our collective responsibility. By ensuring that they can thrive and express themselves, we diminish the breeding ground for terrorism.”
The study has seven key findings:
“As a compassionate and responsible society, it is our duty to approach this issue with empathy and understanding, and to ensure that these vulnerable children receive the care and support they need to move forward from their experiences,” said Andhik Chrisnayudhanto, Deputy Head for International Cooperation, National Counter-Terrorism Agency (BNPT), opening STRIVE Juvenile Indonesia’s fourth Project Coordination Meeting on 14 December 2023 in Jakarta, Indonesia.
High-level national representatives from the security, child protection, justice and development sectors, as well as civil society gathered to celebrate and discuss three years of persistent efforts and achievements.
The meeting was led by BNPT and co-chaired by the European Union; and marked an important step in Indonesia’s efforts to prevent and respond to violence against children by terrorist and violent extremist groups.
All over the world, children are recruited and exploited by armed and organized criminal groups, including those designated as terrorist groups. Regardless of the groups’ labels, during their association, children in these contexts are exposed to insecurity and extreme levels of violence, including neglect and psychological violence.
The sexual abuse of children is a serious form of violence against children, and it is reviled in every country in the world. The creation, publication and repeated distribution of images and videos of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is also a crime in virtually every jurisdiction. CSAM is both a consequence of and fuel for further abuse.
UNODC, in partnership with the Government of the United Kingdom, convened an expert group meeting in Vienna on 26-27 June 2023. The objectives of the meeting were to discuss some of the gaps and limitations in current approaches to the problem and to formulate new ways to accomplish the twin goals of removal of CSAM images online, linked to a comprehensive strategy to prevent the re-upload of known CSAM.
The meeting brought together experts in their individual capacities. Participants included child protection and criminal justice experts, academics, representatives of civil society organizations, the private sector and financial institutions.
The Vienna expert group meeting on CSAM removal will produce a chair’s summary and overview and follow up on any recommendations that might be announced.
UNODC-UNICEF-Save the Children and Wilton Park report on the impact of adversity, violence and trauma on adolescent brain development.
Our youth leaders invite you to explore the intersection and interdependence of storytelling, brain science and peacebuilding for overall societal well-being. Will you listen?
Protecting children from crime and violence, online and offline, for a safer future
"Stories of Resilience": A documentary showcasing the youth-led awareness raising campaign implemented under the STRIVE Juvenile Project in Borno State, Nigeria.
The Nigeria Call for Action and the campaign 'Give peace a chance!
4million+ people reached with messages on peace and child protection / 20+ guests / 13 sessions.
Tune into the radio series overview!
To ensure efficient and effective protection for children, the UNODC Global Programme to End Violence Against Children emphasizes close inter-agency cooperation. By partnering with key UN entities and representatives from regional and international organizations, we work together to avoid overlapping mandates and duplication of efforts. This united approach leverages the strengths of each partner, creating a cohesive and powerful network dedicated to ending violence against children.
Together, we're building a safer, brighter future for the world's children.
