Figure 1: No Copyright Infringement Intended

Context

• Cyber crime cases are significantly increasing in the case of children.

 Background

• Crimes against children include physical and emotional abuse, neglect and exploitation, such as through child pornography or sex trafficking of minors.
• Indian penal code and the various protective and preventive special and local laws specifically mention the o ences wherein children are victims.
• The age of child varies as per the definition given in the concerned Acts but age of child has been defined to be below 18 years as per The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 Amended.
• Therefore an o ence committed on a victim under the age of 18 years is considered as crime against children for the purpose of analysis in this chapter.
• Violence against children includes all forms of violence against people under 18 years old, whether perpetrated by parents or other caregivers, peers, romantic partners, or strangers.
• Globally, it is estimated that up to 1 billion children aged 2–17 years, have experienced physical, sexual, or emotional violence or neglect in the past year (1).
• Experiencing violence in childhood impacts lifelong health and well-being.
• Target 16.2 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is to “end abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against, and torture of, children”.
• Evidence from around the world shows that violence against children can be prevented.

Violence faced by Children

• Most violence against children involves at least one of six main types of interpersonal violence that tend to occur at different stages in a child’s development.
• Maltreatment (including violent punishment) involves physical, sexual and psychological/emotional violence; and neglect of infants, children and adolescents by parents, caregivers and other authority figures, most often in the home but also in settings such as schools and orphanages.
• Bullying (including cyber-bullying) is unwanted aggressive behaviour by another child or group of children who are neither siblings nor in a romantic relationship with the victim. It involves repeated physical, psychological or social harm, and often takes place in schools and other settings where children gather, and online.
• Youth violence is concentrated among children and young adults aged 10–29 years, occurs most often in community settings between acquaintances and strangers, includes bullying and physical assault with or without weapons (such as guns and knives), and may involve gang violence.
• Intimate partner violence (or domestic violence) involves physical, sexual and emotional violence by an intimate partner or ex-partner. Although males can also be victims, intimate partner violence disproportionately a ects females. It commonly occurs against girls within child marriages and early/Childhood/forced marriages.
• Sexual violence includes non-consensual completed or attempted sexual contact and acts of a sexual nature not involving contact (such as voyeurism or sexual harassment); acts of sexual tra cking committed against someone who is unable to consent or refuse; and online exploitation.
• Emotional or psychological violence includes restricting a child’s movements, denigration, ridicule, threats and intimidation, discrimination, rejection and other non-physical forms of hostile treatment.

Risk factors

Violence against children is a multifaceted problem with causes at the individual, close relationship, community and societal levels. Important risk factors are:

 Individual level:

• biological and personal aspects such as sex and age
• lower levels of education
• low income
• having a disability or mental health problems
• identifying as or being identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender
• harmful use of alcohol and drugs
• a history of exposure to violence.

Close-relationship level:

• lack of emotional bonding between children and parents or caregivers
• poor parenting practices
• family dysfunction and separation
• being associated with delinquent peers
• witnessing violence between parents or caregivers
• early or forced marriage.

Community level:

• poverty
• high population density
• low social cohesion and transient populations
• easy access to alcohol and firearms
• high concentrations of gangs and illicit drug dealing.

 Society level:

• social and gender norms that create a climate in which violence is normalized
• health, economic, educational and social policies that maintain economic, gender and social inequalities
• absent or inadequate social protection.

Prevention

WHO’s INSPIRE strategy to combat violence against children.

Seven strategies are:

• Implementation and enforcement of laws (for example, banning violent discipline and restricting access to alcohol and firearms);
• Norms and values change (for example, altering norms that condone the sexual abuse of girls or aggressive behaviour among boys);
• Safe environments (such as identifying neighbourhood “hot spots” for violence and then addressing the local causes through problem-oriented policing and other interventions);
• Parental and caregiver support (for example, providing parent training to young, first time parents);
• Income and economic strengthening (such as microfinance and gender equity training);
• Response services provision (for example, ensuring that children who are exposed to violence can access effective emergency care and receive appropriate psychosocial support); and
• Education and life skills (such as ensuring that children attend school, and providing life and social skills training).