Violence against children is rising, warns Unicef rep

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: Violence against children is on the rise and the area it is increasing most is at home, said Gaye Phillips, the Unicef representative from Malaysia.
“From studies coming through, it shows that the home is the most unsafe place for children,” she said.
The perpetrator might be a parent, an older brother, sister, aunt, uncle or even close friends of the family who have trusted access to the child.
“Violence comes in all forms. The worst is sexual and physical abuse but there is also emotional and psychological abuse.
“You can perpetrate great violence against children just by the things you say,” she said at a press conference yesterday at Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam).
The press conference was called to release Suhakam’s Reducing Violence, Harm and Exploitation of Children report, which was done in collaboration with Unicef (United Nations Children’s Fund).
Phillips attributed the increase in violence to better data and mandatory reporting at hospitals and police stations.
“You have legislation in place. This does give you an advantage over many other countries which do not have an institutional mechanism in place,” she said.
However, she pointed out that violence against children at home is often under-reported.
“The increase of violence against children is a global phenomena,” she added.
Phillips said there was a need to look at how to prevent the “triggers of violence” in the homes where violence becomes the first option to solve a problem or express a feeling.
“We need to really strengthen the family so that they will nurture their children in a constructive way,” she added.
Suhakam commissioner Datuk Dr Raj Karim said an important aspect was victim protection.
She called for a National Action Plan and a task force to combat trafficking of children effectively.
In its report, Suhakam also recommended that children be invited to forums and conferences to voice their experiences and be given a say in the shaping of decisions and policies that concerned them.
“Children are not mini persons with mini rights, mini feelings and mini dignity. They are vulnerable human beings with full rights that require more, not less, protection,” it said.