CHARLOTTE MC CLAIN-NHLAPO
Member of the UN study on violence against children, USA
Résumé
« La violence contre les enfants n’est pas une fatalité. Elle peut et doit être prévenue. » C’est l’un des principaux messages présentés par l’Expert indépendant de l’ONU, M. Pinheiro, au terme de l’enquête menée depuis 2003, dans le monde entier et dont les résultats ont été portés devant l’AG de l’ONU, le 12.10.2006. C’est la première fois qu’une enquête a été menée à l’échelle mondiale, impliquant des milliers de personnes, (dont de nombreux enfants ou adolescents), des 5 continents, qui ont répondu à des questionnaires fort détaillées. Pour les enfants handicapés, ceux-ci sont très vulnérables. Dans l’enquête, il ressort que les enfants avec une incapacité physique, sensorielle, intellectuelle ou mentale présentent un risqué accru d’être victimes de violence; hélas les recherches sont très lacunaires. L’AG des NU, le 12.10.2006 a adopté des recommandations. Le message de la conférencière par rapport aux enfants en situation de handicap : renforcer les capacités de ces enfants et de leurs familles, disposer de données fiables qui reflète la situation objective, demander aux Etat de ratifier la nouvelle Convention sur les droits des personnes handicapées, améliorer laformation des professionnels.
Zusammenfassung
„Gewalt gegenüber Kindern ist nicht eine Fatalität. Ihr kann und soll vorgebeugt werden.“ Diese Botschaft vermittelt der UNO-Spezialberichterstatter Pinheiro in seiner seit 2003 geführten Untersuchung, deren Ergebnis er der UNO- Vollversammlung am 12. Oktober 2006 vorgelegt hat. Es handelt sich dabei um die erste weltweit vorgenommene Untersuchung, in die Tausende von Individuen einbezogen wurden; diese hatten in einem detaillierten Fragebogen ihre Antworten abgeliefert. Behinderte Kinder sind ausgesprochen verletzlich. Aus der Untersuchung geht hervor, dass Kinder mit einer körperlichen, organischen, intellektuellen oder geistigen Behinderung erhöht der Gewalt ausgesetzt sind. Leider sind die Forschungsergebnisse sehr lückenhaft. Am 12. Oktober 2006 hat die Vollversammlung der Vereinten Nationen Empfehlungen verabschiedet. Die Botschaft der Rednerin in Bezug auf Kinder, die unter Behinderung leiden : die Fähigkeiten der Kinder und ihrer Eltern stärken, objektiv verlässliche Daten
erfassen, die Staaten zur Ratifizierung der neuen Vereinbarung über die Rechte von Menschen mit Behinderung auffordern, die Ausbildung der Fachleute verbessern.
Resumen
« La violencia contra los niños no es una fatalidad. Puede y debe ser prevenida. » Es uno de los principales mensajes presentados por el Experto independiente de la ONU, el Sr. Pinheiro, al término de la encuesta llevada a cabo desde 2003, en el mundo entero y cuyos resultados han sido llevados delante de la AG de la ONU, el 12.10.2006. Es la primera vez que una encuesta ha sido llevada a escala mundial, implicando a millones de personas, (de los cuales numerosos niños o adolescentes), de los 5 continentes, que han respondido a algunos cuestionarios fuertemente detalladas. Para los niños con discapacidad, estos son muy vulnerables. En la encuesta, destaca que los niños con una incapacidad física, sensorial, intelectual o mental presentan un riesgo incrementado de ser víctimas de violencia; desgraciadamente las investigaciones tienen muchas lagunas. La AG de las NU, el 12.10.2006 ha adoptado recomendaciones. El mensaje de la conferenciante con respecto a los niños en situación de discapacidad: reforzar las capacidades de estos niños y de sus familias, disponer de datos fiables que reflejen la situación objetiva, pedir a los Estados ratificar la nueva Convención sobre los derechos de las personas con discapacidad, mejorar la formación de los profesionales.
Summary
“Violence against children is not a fatality. It can and must be prevented” This is one of the key messages issued by UN independent Expert Mr Pinheiro at the conclusion of the worldwide inquiry led since 2003, which results have been presented on October 12th 2006 to the UN Assembly. For the first time, a world scale study has been conducted, involving thousands of people including numerous children and adolescents from all continents. In their attendance to national and regional meetings, they produced essays and answered detailed questionnaires. As for disabled children, they are very vulnerable. The inquiry reveals that children with a physical, sensory, intellectual or mental health impairment are at increased risk of becoming victims of violence, the problem being numerous gaps in research. On October 12th 2006, UNGASS has adopted recommendations. The speaker wants to put through the following message about children living with disabilities: empower children with disabilities and their families, have better data systems- to reflect the real situation of children with disabilities, influence State
Parties to ratify the new Convention on the Rights of Persons Living with Disabilities, and better policies for training among service providers.
INTRODUCTION
Children with disabilities have exactly the same rights as other children. However in order to realize those rights more needs to be done. Children with disabilities too often face discrimination and abuse and are rarely given the opportunity to participate and to enjoy their rights along side their non disabled peers. They are among the most stigmatized and marginalized of all the children in the world. While all children are at risk of being victims of violence, children with disabilities are often significantly at risk because of stigma, negative traditional beliefs and ignorance.
For many children with disabilities, social support, education and participation in the community activities are non-existent. This exclusion from basic services and community activities often results in isolation. This social exclusion does not affect the child with a disability alone, but their families as a whole. The presence of a child with a disability in a household without access to support will undoubtedly exacerbate levels of poverty and hardship. As economist Amartya Sen recently noted,1 the poverty line for people with disabilities should take into account the extra expenses they entail in translating their income into the freedom to live well. Disability adds to the cost of living, for example with extra medical care or more expensive transportation.2
At psychological level, children with disabilities are generally brought up with low expectations of their potential and with families believing that they were born with a disability or became disabled after birth as the result of a curse, “bad blood”, bad karma, an incestuous relationship, a sin committed in a previous incarnation or a sin committed by that child’s parents or other family members.
Vulnerability takes many forms, children with disabilities are also often targeted by perpetrators of violence and abuse, who see them as easy victims and incapable of defending themselves. A recent analysis conducted in the United States of the circumstances of maltreatment and the presence of disabilities established a 9% prevalence rate of maltreatment for nondisabled children and a 13% prevalence rate for children with disabilities. Thus, the study established a
1
In his keynote address at the World Bank’s conference on “Disability and Inclusive Development” November, 30-December 4, 2004.
2
Sen (2004) describes distinction between two types of handicap that tend to go with disability: Earning handicap and conversion handicap. The former indicates the disadvantage on income and wealth, based on difficulty in getting or retaining a job, and possibly on lower compensation for work due to disabilities. The latter refers to the disadvantage that a disabled person has in converting money into good living.
significant association between the presence of an educationally relevant disability and maltreatment.3
BACKGROUND
It is important to highlight that the number of children with disabilities are significant. The causes of disability are as varied as the kinds of disability. Also, the number of children with disabilities continues to increase due to war and other forms of violence, inadequate medical and rehabilitation services and natural disasters.
Despite the fact that numbers differ depending on the definition of disability used, the World Health Organization’s definition of disability estimates that, approximately 200 million children or 10% are born with a disability or become disabled before age 19.
The WHO definition considers the physical, sensory (deafness, blindness), intellectual or mental health impairment of a person. This definition has not been successful in identifying children with mild to moderate disabilities, such as learning disabilities- a category of children often experiencing abuse and violence. Where they are multiple concepts used in defining disability under-reporting is common. Similarly, data in many countries is drawn from administrative sources such as enrollment in special schools or claims of disability4. It is fairly obvious that such a source would exclude children with disabilities living in rural and remote areas in developing countries. Apart from falling between the cracks of definitions and prevalence rates, many children with disabilities are never registered at birth.
It is recognized that the majority of causes of disabilities such as; war, land mines, road traffic accidents, illness and poverty are preventable and along with preventing and/or reducing the secondary impacts of disabilities, often caused by the lack of early/timely intervention. Since 1990, more than 6 million children were seriously injured or maimed due to armed conflict.5 The United Nations Children's Fund estimates that 30 - 40% of all land mine victims are children under
3
Sullivan, Patricia and John Knutson. "Maltreatment and Disabilities: A Population Based Epidemiological Study." Child Abuse & Neglect, 24 (2000): 1257 - 1273.
4
Children and disability in transition in CEE/CIS and Baltic States, UNICEF, Innocenti Research Centre. Pp.2.
5
the age of 15. Landmines cause extensive injuries, which often lead to amputation, severe disabilities and psychological trauma.
It is further estimated that 70% of childhood disability caused by vaccine preventable diseases, i.e. polio, malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies. In general, some disabilities are found significantly more often in girls and women (e.g., blindness, multiple sclerosis); others affect them substantially less frequently than boys and men (traffic, sports and gunshot injuries, autism).6
There is also sufficient evidence to support the fact that children with disabilities are more vulnerable to all forms of abuse be it mental, physical or sexual including in all settings, the home, school, private and public institutions, including alternative care and the community at large.