The world’s governments have promised to provide improved protection to children in difficult circumstances and tackle the root causes leading to such circumstances. Failure to act – to back up the good intention with practical measures that bring about a safer world for children – really does not honour the world’s promise to the child, nor the promise and potential of the child. In ten years, will the Secretary General of the United Nations again need to say to the children of the world, “We have failed you”?
Children at Risk is a follow-up to World Vision’s earlier study Crying Out: Children and communities speak on abuse and neglect, which revealed that children were being abused or neglected to an alarming extent and made recommendations to address this. The present report reflects a survey of World Vision and some other NGOs’ approaches to protecting children at risk in five Asian countries. It identifies a range of practical programming and policy measures that are – or hold promise for – effectively addressing the abuse and neglect of children.
This report shows examples of what can be achieved when linkages between civil society, government and donors are effectively made. Underpinning the entire report is a call for stronger commitment, and urgent action – a demonstration that child abuse is simply no longer tolerated.
©World Vision International
