Under this major goal, there are 12 targets, the 16.2 of which is “End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children.”

●Current Situation

The World

All forms of violence threaten children's rights and lives

In 2023, nearly one-third of pupils said they had been physically assaulted at least once in 144 countries. Around the world, attacks on children continue unabated. The number of countries experiencing violent conflict is the highest it has been in the last 30 years. The result is that more than 30 million children have been displaced by conflict. Many of them are being enslaved, trafficked, abused, and exploited. The climate crisis is a "threat multiplier" for violence against children, exacerbating every challenge – from poverty to displacement and loss of education, and around 1 billion of children are exposed to climate risks.

Source: United Nations, UNICEF, UNESCO

China

Rising trends in crimes against juveniles and protective measures

In recent years, crimes against juveniles have generally been on the rise. The procuratorates further strengthen the punishment and prevention of sexual assault crimes. The Supreme People's Procuratorate of the People's Republic of China requires procuratorates at all levels across the country to set up special reception windows for "protection of the rights and interests of women and children" in the 12309 Procuratorate Service Halls. The Supreme People's Court of the People's Republic of China released China's top 10 typical anti-domestic violence cases (2023). In April 2023, 17 departments including the Ministry of Education jointly issued the "Special Action Plan to Comprehensively Strengthen and Improve Student Mental Health Work in the New Era (2023-2025)," placing student mental health work in a more prominent and important position, and listing the prevention and management of "school bullying" as a key focus.

Source: Supreme People’s Procuratorate of the People’s Republic of China, Procuratorate Daily, Supreme People’s Court of the People’s Republic of China, China Women’s News, Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China

●Cases

The World

UNICEF's Integrated Child Protection Model

Through the Integrated Child Protection Model, UNICEF helps the partner counties develop and strengthen the building blocks of a child protection system, through:

• agreed ways on how to coordinate the different sectors to identify risks and respond to cases of violence, abuse, or neglect;

• a three-level (county-township-village) service delivery network providing a positive parenting program, a psychosocial sport and play program, and case management;

• capacity building of the child protection workforce on how to best support vulnerable children and families and how to prevent and respond to violence, abuse, and neglect. 

The program also promotes community structures such as children’s safe spaces for psychosocial activities and delivers parenting sessions to families to help them navigate the challenges of being a parent.

“UNICEF knows from its global experience and evidence generated over decades that the most effective way to improve the system is holistically, rather than trying to tackle problems issue-by-issue. We hope not only to make a difference for children in the 12 project counties, but also to scale up the model to other regions across the country,” said Amakobe Sande, UNICEF representative in China. “We look forward to continuing our strategic partnership with the government to invest in delivery of quality services and the child protection workforce, to strengthen a comprehensive safety net for children who are experiencing violence and neglect or who are at risk.”

Source: UNICEF

Google combats online child sexual abuse 

Google is committed to combating online child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Google's Terms of Service expressly prohibit the use of any of Google's platforms or services to store or share such content. To identify, remove, and report this content, the Google team works 24 hours every day, using a combination of humans and machines (industry-leading automated detection tools + specially trained moderators). In addition, they receive reports from third parties and users to further improve ongoing monitoring. They report child sexual abuse to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). NCMEC is the center for information exchange and comprehensive reporting on issues related to child abuse in the United States. The center sends these reports to law enforcement agencies around the world.

Source: Google

China

Shenzhen Wenxin Social Work Service Center helps children in need

Photo: Shenzhen Wenxin Social Work Service Center

The Shenzhen Wenxin Social Work Service Center actively carries out child welfare and protection work, strengthens the rescue and care of children in difficulty, and strives to protect the legitimate rights and interests of children. It has provided protection services to 6,430 juveniles in total. It currently has three major platforms: the Shenzhen Juvenile Protection Center, the Futian Juvenile Protection Center, and the Guangming Juvenile Protection Center.

By assisting in the grassroots children's staff symposium, the service center has strengthened its connection with the work of various districts and subdistricts, publicized child protection policies in the process of case study and rebuilt Shenzhen's four-level network in caring about children. Through the establishment of a hotline for the protection of juveniles, the service center timely accepts and refers complaints and reports of violations of the legitimate interests of juveniles, establishes contacts between them and various related departments, and provides legal and policy consultation, psychological counseling, case management, crisis intervention, case referral, and other services to basic juvenile protection organizations in need.

Source: Shenzhen Wenxin Social Work Service Center

Qihang Public Welfare Service Center's campus legal education

Photo: Shenzhen Futian Qihang Public Welfare Service Center

In order to further popularize legal knowledge and enhance the legal awareness of juveniles with serious misconduct, in February 2024, the activity of "Preventing Students from Crime and Building a Safe Campus" sponsored by the Guangming District Procuratorate and undertaken by the Qihang Public Service Center was held in Yuxin School, and 20 students with serious misconduct participated in this activity. 

In the rule of law class, prosecutors taught the students the spiritual connotation and key content of the laws and regulations on the protection of minors in a simple way, so that the students could understand the common types of campus crimes and the six causes of juvenile delinquency, and they were guided to think deeply about how to prevent crimes on the basis of the relevant content of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Protection of Minors and the Law of the People's Republic of China on Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency. This activity promoted the legal awareness and abilities among young people.

Source: Qihang Public Welfare Service Center of Shenzhen Futian District 

●Background

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) initiated by the United Nations

On January 1, 2016, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including 169 targets, of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development — adopted by world leaders in September 2015 at an historic UN Summit — officially came into force. Countries will mobilize efforts to end all forms of poverty, fight inequalities and tackle climate change while ensuring that no one is left behind.