VIOLENCE RIFE IN ASIA’S SCHOOLS

Violence in schools kills thousands of children around the world each year, with millions more suffering serious injuries, depression, mental health problems or sexually transmitted diseases, according to a groundbreaking report by Plan, the leading international children’s NGO. This violence includes sexual assault, inhumane physical and psychological intimidation and violence committed by teachers, along with widespread student bullying. The 84-page report is part of the Plan’s global campaign, “Learn Without Fear”. The campaign, which launches today in Bangkok and three other world capitals, seeks to end all forms of violence against children in schools. The report shows that victims of violence in school are more likely to commit suicide than their classmates. Many others die as a direct result of their injuries, or as a consequence of the violence, such as from pregnancy complications or contraction of HIV. “This report presents shocking and irrefutable evidence that school children across the globe are regularly sexually and physically abused by the very adults who have a duty to protect them,” says Tom Miller, Plan’s Chief Executive Officer. “Violence in schools is too often viewed as acceptable or necessary by education authorities, parents and governments. Violence is an outrageous violation of children’s fundamental rights. Education is supposed to unlock children’s potential, not condemn them to an uncertain and vulnerable future. “Violence affects everyone. It is not just the abused children’s mental and physical health that suffers. Evidence shows that this violence also affects their families, communities and even national economies. Violence in schools ruins the chance of a better and more prosperous life for many children, denying the communities and countries of a vital national asset. And this is going on everyday, everywhere in schools that are supposed to nurture and protect the youth.” The report, the most comprehensive global examination of school violence ever, focuses on three major areas that affect the 350 million children worldwide who suffer from violence in school each year. Sexual violence There is shocking evidence of sexual abuse in Asian schools, including teachers who take sexual advantage of students, sometimes in exchange for better grades, as well as peer-to-peer sexual aggression. In many places, the issue is compounded by oppressive cultural attitudes towards women and girls that make it extremely difficult for victims to resist their attackers or bring them to justice. Examples of sexual abuse in schools include the following: ? Once a week, at least one teacher sexually abuses a student in Thailand, according to the Children and Family Protection Centre, which is part of Thailand’s Ministry of Education. There is also evidence of students using sexual violence as an extreme form of bullying. ? Pakistan’s Minister of State for Religious Affairs recorded more than 2,500 complaints of sexual abuse by clerics in religious schools in 2002 and 2003 – none of which led to a successful prosecution, according to a UN Violence against Children report. ? In Asia, only Indonesia has an explicit law that prohibits sexual violence against children in the specific contexts of home, school and other care settings. ? In South Asia, there have been numerous cases where children get abducted on their way to schools and later trafficked as sex workers Sexual violence in schools is not confined to developing countries. It also affects many developed countries. Almost half of girls surveyed in Sweden reported that sexual harassment in schools was a significant problem. Corporal punishment Ninety countries continue to allow teachers to legally use corporal punishment, and laws in countries that do ban it are often poorly enforced. Examples of punishments used by teachers against children include hitting, kicking, biting or throwing, locking or tying up and even burning. Although teachers use corporal punishment in the name of discipline, ultimately it makes pupils more violent NOT less violent. Bullying Bullying is a serious problem in all countries - up to two-thirds of students identify themselves as victims of either physical or mental bullying. Bullying at school is a cause of violence in society at large, as both bullies and their victims likely to be more violent as adults than other children in their class. Girls who are bullied are eight times more likely to be suicidal than their peers. Plan’s Campaign Besides the Asia regional campaign launch in Bangkok, three other regional launches will take place today: in Nairobi, Kenya; Dakar, Senegal; and Cartagena, Colombia, with additional spokespersons promoting the campaign in London and other European capitals. During the three-year campaign, Plan will work directly with at least 5,000 schools in 40 countries to tackle violence. In Thailand, Plan has set up an online community aimed at signing up 50,000 people who are willing to add their names to help pressure the government to enact stricter laws against this aggression. Key goals of the global campaign include: ? Persuading governments to outlaw all forms of violence against children in school, including corporal punishment, and to enforce those laws ? Working with school leaders and teachers to create violence-free schools and promote alternative discipline methods to corporal punishment ? Creating a global momentum for change, including increased resources from international donors and governments to tackle violence in schools in developing countries According to Plan’s Miller, “We all have a role, whether as individuals, governments, or INGOs, to make sure that children can go to school without fear or threat of violence and receive a quality education in a safe and secure environment. ‘Learn Without Fear’ may be Plan’s campaign, but it’s everyone’s responsibility. Ending violence in schools is in all of our interest.” Do the Maths: It’s estimated that more than 350 million children suffer some type of violence in school each year That’s equivalent to more than the entire population of the United States It means almost 1 million children are suffering violence EVERY DAY. Contact: Plan Asia Regional Office press contact: Warisara Sornpet Phone: +66 (0) 2 204 2630-4 | Mobile: +66 (0) 89 893 6106 Web: http://plan-international.org/news/journalists/

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