ARMENIA: ROUNDTABLE ON VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN

YEREVAN, 27 July – UNICEF, Council of Europe and representatives of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Labour and Social Issues
and State Police called today for immediate action to put an end to
violence against children in Armenia.

“In Armenia we need to give the issue of violence against children in
homes, schools and other places in their community the visibility and
public attention this deserves,” Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative in
Armenia said, addressing a round table organized on the heels of the
Regional Consultation on Violence Against Children held in Ljubljana on
5-7 July 2005. “It is essential that polices and procedures are in place
to help prevent violence against children, support child victims and
strengthen reporting, referral and response mechanisms.”

Studies in many countries have repeatedly shown that victims of physical
abuse during childhood have an increased risk of becoming violent
offenders themselves.

“Violence against children can occur everywhere, in every family and in
every society. In Armenia, as in almost all countries, it is often a
hidden problem that is vastly under-reported,” Yett said

A 2003 UNICEF Armenia survey found that poor living conditions,
unemployment and the psychological stress of poverty had resulted in an
increase in the number of cases of abuse and neglect not only in the
family but also in schools and children’s institutions.

The study revealed that in many families slapping and beating are
perceived as a “means of upbringing”. In many children’s institutions as
well as in schools corporal punishment is still a common practice.

The Ljubljana conference was hosted by the Government of Slovenia and
organized in close consultation with UNICEF, WHO the Council of Europe,
the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the NGO
Advisory Panel on the UN Study on Violence Against Children. The
consultation is one of nine worldwide that will feed into a major study
mandated by the UN General Assembly on Violence Against Children.

Representatives of 40 countries as well as 24 child delegates
participating in the Regional Consultations in Ljubljana adopted a final
document called “Ljubljana Commitment”. By adopting this document, the
Government of Armenia and other countries in the region pledged to take
immediate steps to tackle the problem of violence against children in
their respective countries and to adopt measures to prevent such cases
from happening in future.

For more information:

Emil Sahakyan, Communication Officer, UNICEF Armenia: (+374 10) 523 546,
esahakyan@unicef.org

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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress