Exploring the Drivers of Violence Affecting Children Videos
Watch the video: ‘Drivers of Violence Affecting Children;’ a video about the ‘Research that Drives Change: Conceptualizing and Conducting Nationally Led Violence Prevention Research’ project discussed in this chapter.
Based on the findings presented from the countries in this study (Italy, Peru, Viet Nam and Zimbabwe), first, choose one form of violence (physical, sexual or emotional) from the findings that you feel is probably most like data and findings in the UK. Second, do some quick research online and see if you can find comparable rates in the UK. Consider the questions
- How do they compare?
- Are they similar or different?
- What accounts for these differences?
This second video - Hãy chấm dứt bạo lực đối với trẻ em ở Việt Nam - was an outcome of the study at a national level in Viet Nam, and importantly entirely driven by young people who scripted, interviewed, filmed and edited this piece. It was produced by a SDG initiative called Youth Speak.
During the video a government policy maker who heads the Children Protection and Welfare Department remarks that violence is ‘hidden in homes and schools’.
- Why do you think this issue is hidden?
- Based on the study findings and what the young people say in this video, what can be done to make violence prevention a priority?
Youth Speak is an organisation founded by children and youth and for children and youth in Viet Nam. Not only did they make this video, but they are constantly addressing issues that concern the next generation.
- Why is it important, in your opinion, to have these kinds of youth-led initiatives?
- Do you think youth-led initiatives are sensible for such politically sensitive issues?
The Age, Gender and Power Framework
Create a linear timeline of age from birth to older adolescent.
Do some light research online to see if there are studies on violence against children in the country where you are currently residing.
Do a rapid assessment of these by reviewing each study you find and creating a document that lists a) the name of the study, b) the age of the study population, and c) the type of violence the study was examining.
Plot these findings along your age and gender timeline and see if you can find patterns. Some of these patterns will be due to gaps in research; for example, you many find a cluster of studies focused on 11–14-year-olds and not other ages. That is ok, your goal here is to look for patterns. Consider the following questions:
- Did the studies pick up disaggregated gender differences?
- If you can compare results for boys and girls, can you begin to question why these differences may exist?
- What did applying the age, gender and power framework in this activity uncover that was not included in the original study?
The Integrated Child Centred Framework
Applying the Integrated Child Centred Framework helps build a holistic understanding of a particular child protection challenge.
Consider where you grew up – recall the town and community where you spent most of your childhood – and choose one type of violence (physical, emotional, or sexual). While the framework relies on data, in this experience, consider facts as you understood them and then plot them. At each level, draw on your experiences of childhood.
- Individual: What were the characteristics that typically defined more vulnerable children? What were the characteristics that defined more protected children?
- Interpersonal: In terms of a child’s relationship to other adults (think: caretakers, parents, teachers, law enforcement, etc.), what were the relationships that tended to be high risk for children in your community?
- Community: What were the community issues that shaped your childhood that might have made you feel at risk for violence? What were the gender norms in your community?
- Institutional: Can you think of the institutions (and if possible, the policies) that affected children in your community (think: education, health, police, justice), and overall did these institutions protect or put children at increased risk of violence? How?
- Structural: What were the big macro forces that were defining your childhood? For example, was there an economic recession that created stress in your household? Were you required to migrate or move due to financial or other stressors? What were the defining gender norms of the day nationally that created inequalities?
Drivers and Risk/Protective Factors
Building on the Integrated Child Centred Framework activity above, take your list of individual, interpersonal, community, institutional and structural factors and identify which of these factors are considered DRIVERS and which are considered RISK or PROTECTIVE factors.
As a reminder,
ü Risk and protective factors reflect the likelihood of violence occurring due to characteristics most often measured at the individual, interpersonal and community levels.
ü Drivers refer to factors at the institutional and structural levels that create the conditions in which violence is more or less likely to occur.
Based on this list, discuss the following questions:
- What do you see as the difference between the drivers and risk or protective factors?.
- If you had to prioritise a driver to focus on for prevention or response based on your socio-ecological mapping, what would you choose and why?
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