Violence is more common than most of us think, and unfortunately, the victims are often innocent children.

Representatives of government and various non-government organizations (NGOs) on Tue signed a declaration of commitment to end violence against children in the Philippines.

“We want to promote a mindset among Filipinos that child abuse is wrong and should not be allowed in a society that claims to have respect for children’s rights,” said Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo.

The statistics are alarming!

According to a report by ABS-CBN News, “Eighty percent of about 4,000 respondents age 13 to 24 surveyed in the national baseline study on violence say they have been subjected to physical (66.3%), psychological (62.8%), sexual (21.5%), and online violence (43.8%).”

Three out of five children were verbally abused, threatened or abandoned by their parents. Meanwhile, the commonly cited perpetrators of overall sexual violence at home are brothers and cousins.

UNICEF country representative Lotta Sylwander said that sexual abuse appears to be higher in the Philippines. Filipino children are at risk of becoming victims of pedophiles all over the world.

“Structural drivers of violence include inequality, cultural norms supportive of violent discipline, weak legislation preventing child corporal punishment, and poor implementation of existing laws,” says the report

According to UNICEF and its NGO partners, fighting violence “requires promoting awareness on violence and help available, strengthening law enforcement at the barangay level, and passing necessary legislation.”

Taguiwalo added that there is a need to to intensify job creation and anti-poverty efforts.

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