The third annual report of the SRSG on Violence against Children to the Human Rights Council reviews key developments and initiatives promoted, and identifies priority areas to which the Special Representative will devote special attention to accelerate progress in children‘s protection from all forms of violence. The report will be submitted to the Human Rights Council, in its upcoming session in March 2012.
"Tackling Violence in Schools – Bridging the gap between standards and practice":
"Education has a unique potential to generate an environment where attitudes condoning violence can be changed and non-violent behaviour can be learned. From children’s early years, schools are well placed to break patterns of violence and provide skills to communicate, to negotiate and support peaceful solutions to conflicts. Schools also offer children the possibility of learning and internalizing values of solidarity, tolerance and respect, and they serve as important resources for the promotion of non-violence and for overcoming tension and mediating conflicts, among pupils and staff, and also beyond, in the wider community. For many children, however, the school environment represents a very different universe, where they may be exposed to violence and may also be taught violence. Playground fighting, verbal abuse, intimidation, humiliation, corporal punishment, sexual abuse, gang violence, or other forms of cruel and humiliating treatment at the hands of teachers and other school staff, are some common expressions of this phenomenon."
Marta Santos Pais
Special Representative of the UN Secretary General on Violence against Children
Both reports are available on http://srsg.violenceagainstchildren.org/