Given the shortcomings of the child protection system in Spain detected by the United Nations, its Committee on the Rights of the Child recommended in its latest Report, to approve a Comprehensive Law on violence against children.
It is also recommended to prioritize prevention, respect, promote non-violent values, provide recovery and social integration services, and ensure the participation of children.
In Spain, violence against children continues to be a hidden and poorly documented reality, only some data of children victims of crimes and those relating to cases detected by social services are known. There are no investigations or mechanisms for collecting official data, nor a single and consensual definition of violence against children. In addition, reporting mechanisms are not accessible to children. But neither is our country an exception, because Only 2.4% of children in the world are legally protected against physical and humiliating punishment, according to the United Nations.
The international organization defines violence against children as “any form of physical, mental or emotional damage or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, ill-treatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse”, which can be exercised in the family, school, the community, the protection centers, as well as in the judicial field or through the new information and communication technologies
According to 2009 data, the most common form of violence against children in Spain would be neglect and neglect -78% of cases of abuse reported-, followed by cases of physical or mental violence and sexual violence. According to the Ministry of Interior, during 2006 (the last year for which data are available) a total of 18,152 children were victims of a crime in Spain.
The main legal norm that regulates the protection of minors in Spain is the Organic Law for the Protection of Minors, of 1996. Since then, society has undergone significant changes for which the law is not adequate or sufficient. Further, the law does not respond to all forms of violence against children.
Violence against children: some figures around the world,
Most violent acts against children are committed by close people, such as parents, couples or classmates, according to the World Health Organization.
More than 80% of the world's children have been victims of violence through physical or humiliating punishment, one third of which results in serious injuries, according to the United Nations Children's Fund.
It is estimated that 20% of women and 10% of men are victims of sexual abuse during childhood.
Some 5.7 million children work in conditions of slavery or servitude in the world, according to the International Labor Organization.
According to the Global School Health Survey, up to 65% of school-age children reported being verbally or physically intimidated at their school in the thirty days before they were asked.
According to the United Nations, 1.8 million children are exploited in prostitution and pornography and 1.2 million are victims of criminal trafficking networks worldwide. In Spain, more than 1,300 victims were identified in 2010, although this is only the tip of the iceberg.
Violence against boys and girls is a serious violation of human rights that requires an immediate and determined response from public authorities in Spain. A law on comprehensive measures for the protection of all children against violence is necessary. The current approach is insufficient, fragmented and there are no adequate mechanisms for its evaluation.
