‘The most important thing adults can do is to love children more and listen to what they say.’
This opinion was shared by 9 out of 10 children when asked what they thought was the most important thing adults can do to end violence against children. The question was part of a global survey, Small Voices Big Dreams 2019, conducted by ChildFund Alliance.
Almost 5,500 children were interviewed in 15 different countries, such as Brazil, Burkina Faso, Canada, Ecuador, Ghana, Honduras, India, Mexico, Nicaragua, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, New Zealand, Thailand and Vietnam. The participants were between 10 and 12 years old.
The children expressed their opinions and feelings about their own safety, their perception of violence against children and the efforts of adults to protect them. Home and school were considered safe places, but most of the respondents said they often feel unsafe on the streets and on public transport. Internet and social media sites were also mostly perceived as dangerous spaces. Furthermore, 40% of the children claimed they are not sufficiently protected from violence in their own country. Most of the girls were afraid something bad might happen to them, while boys mostly worried about being forced to do something bad.
The ChildFund Alliance aims to facilitate the meaningful participation of children in decisions that affect them, and help them to create lasting changes in their lives.
Sources and more information can be found at: https://www.smallvoicesbigdreams.org/en/