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No one to turn to: The under-reporting of child sexual exploitation and abuse by aid workers and peacekeepers

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(extract)

I Introduction

In this report we focus on ways to improve the international community's response to the sexual exploitation and abuse of children by aid workers, peacekeepers and others acting on their behalf in emergencies. Every instance of such abuse is a gross violation of children's rights and a betrayal of the core principles of humanitarian action. (1)

This report draws particular attention to the problem of the under-reporting of such abuse and addresses a range of related issues. It is not a detailed technical document, but aims to bring new evidence into discussions among policy-makers, politicians and those grappling at the local level with the obstacles to effective action.

Our research suggests that significant levels of abuse of boys and girls continue in emergencies, with much of it going unreported.The victims include orphans, children separated from their parents and families, and children in families dependent on humanitarian assistance.The existence of this problem has been widely known since 2002 and various positive steps have begun to be taken to eliminate it. A high level conference in New York in December 2006, attended by the UN Secretary General, reaffirmed the commitment of UN agencies and other international actors to vigorous action.

Save the Children welcomes the many initiatives and actions taken since 2002.These include the development of codes of conduct, better interagency cooperation, new mechanisms to encourage the reporting of abuse and a proactive response, and the preparation of training, information and guidance material. Collectively these measures represent a serious attempt to respond to an issue that only recently became visible.

Crucially, however, many of these measures are dependent on the willingness and ability of children and their carers to report the abuse they experience. If this is not assured, then the system as a whole will remain fundamentally flawed. Evidence from three countries suggests that much more needs to be done by international actors to encourage and support reporting by children and adults so that local communities have confidence in the new system.

Breaking the silence surrounding this problem is an essential step towards its elimination. Our research suggests that children and their families are not speaking out because of a mix of stigma, fear, ignorance and powerlessness. In addition, it appears that at the grassroots level international agencies are not yet perceived as responding effectively to allegations - with the consequence that victims and others cannot see the point of reporting abuse.Together, these two factors are a major impediment to stamping out this problem.

The report concludes that there are three important gaps in existing efforts to curb abuse and exploitation.

1. Communities - especially children and young people - are not being adequately supported and encouraged to speak out about the abuse against them.

2. There is a need for even stronger leadership on this issue in many parts of the international system - notably to ensure that good practices and new procedures are taken up and implemented.

3. There is an acute lack of investment in tackling the underlying causes of child sexual exploitation and abuse in communities - abuse not just by those working on behalf of the international community but by a whole range of local actors. (2)

Our recommendations (summarised overleaf), which are presented more fully later in this report, seek to respond to these challenges.

Recommendations

- Effective local complaints mechanisms should be set up in-country to enable people to report abuses against them.

- A new global watchdog should be established to monitor and evaluate the efforts of international agencies to tackle this abuse and to champion more effective responses.

- Tackling the root causes or drivers of abuse should become a greater priority for governments, donors and others in the international community, including the development of stronger child protection systems at the national level.

Save the Children does not claim to have all the answers, or to be immune to this problem. Indeed, awareness of the difficulty of stamping this out in our own organisation is a driving force behind this report. We do believe, however, that eliminating this abuse is a key responsibility of every international actor.

Notes:

(1) Protection rights are enshrined within the UN Convention for the Rights of the Child 1989 (UNCRC), the UN Declaration of Human Rights and universal humanitarian standards.

(2) For more information on the links between child sexual abuse and exploitation committed by the local and international community, see Save the Children UK, From Camp to Community, Liberia study on exploitation of children, 2006. For more information on child sexual abuse committed more broadly, see Save the Children Norway, Listen and Speak out against Sexual Abuse of Girls and Boys: 10 Essential Learning Points, Global Submission by the International Save the Children Alliance to the UN Study on Violence against Children, 2005.