UN Agency Concerned Over Abuse Of Children In The Home

Six in ten children under five years old worldwide regularly endure psychological aggression or physical punishment at home, according to new UNICEF estimates. Of these nearly 400 million under-fives, 330 million are punished by physical means. “When children are subjected to physical or verbal abuse at home, or when they are deprived of social and emotional care from their loved ones, it can undermine their sense of self-worth and development,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. The UNICEF data was released on Tuesday on the first-ever International Day of Play (IDOP). It reveals many young children are deprived of play, stimulation, and interaction with their parents and caregivers. The UN children’s agency is calling on governments to strengthen legal frameworks and provide greater investments in evidence-based parenting programmes and play spaces for children. Violent discipline at home While more and more countries are prohibiting physical punishment against children at home, around half a billion under-fives are still left without adequate legal protection. Harmful social norms underscore violent child rearing practices, according to UNICEF. Slightly more than one in four mothers and primary caregivers expressed that physical punishment is necessary to raise children. The data found that approximately four in ten...