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Violence in and around schools affects millions of children all over the world. Around 150 million students aged 13–15 – about half of all students aged 13–15 worldwide – face peer-to-peer violence in and around schools; approximately one in three students in the same age group experience bullying, and about the same proportion is involved in physical fights.

The Canadian Centre for Child Protection (C3P) is a national charity that works to support survivors and keep children safe. Millions of images of child sexual abuse circulate freely on the internet each day, not only in obscure corners of the dark web, but also on some of the most popular web platforms. This report focuses in on child sexual…, Published date:, September 2020, Language(s):, English

Ending Violence in and through Schools presents the scale, forms, and impacts of violence that children experience in, around, and through educational environments, underscoring that school should be a place of hope, safety, and opportunity where all children can learn and thrive. The report draws on global evidence to highlight how physical, psychological, and sexual violence undermines well-being, education outcomes, and long-term development, and why integrated action across sectors is essential to protect children, uphold their rights, and improve quality learning for girls and boys everywhere.This report provides a comprehensive foundation for advocacy, policy, and programme planning aimed at ending violence in educational settings worldwide. It is designed to support governments, partners, and practitioners to understand the urgency of the challenge and to mobilize coordinated action that addresses violence as a barrier to learning, equity, and child development. 

Safe to Learn’s Call to Action benchmarks were developed based on international child rights frameworks, UN tools and minimum standards, and best practice from the field of child safeguarding. For each benchmark, there are national, state and school-level ‘checkpoints’ or requirements that governments and the education sector should meet in order…

The Global status report on preventing violence against children 2020 charts countries’ progress towards the SDGs aimed at ending violence against children. Jointly published by WHO, UNICEF, UNESCO, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Violence against Children, and the Global Partnership to End Violence against Children, it…, Published date:, June 2020, Language(s):, English

Safe to Learn’s Call to Action benchmarks were developed based on international child rights frameworks, UN tools and minimum standards, and best practice from the field of child safeguarding. For each benchmark, there are national, state and school-level ‘checkpoints’ or requirements that governments and the education sector should meet in order…

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted widespread school closures and physical distancing measures and made online platforms and communities essential to maintaining a sense of normalcy. More than 1.5 billion children and young people have been affected by school and university closures worldwide. Many of these students are now taking classes as well…

Socioeconomic pressures can lead to increased violence against children, including physical, sexual, emotional, economic violence, abuse and neglect: Past epidemics tell us that confinement and intensified economic pressures on households may exacerbate stress, tension and discord and increase violence against children, exploitation and child labor. Some impacts will be felt throughout the crisis, and some may be felt long after the pandemic is resolved.

Safe to Learn’s Call to Action benchmarks were developed based on international child rights frameworks, UN tools and minimum standards, and best practice from the field of child safeguarding. For each benchmark, there are national, state and school-level ‘checkpoints’ or requirements that governments and the education sector should meet in order…

With support from the End Violence Fund, AVSI brought the Good School Toolkit – an evidence-based intervention developed by the non-governmental organization Raising Voices – to refugee setting camps for the very first time in 2018. The Good School Toolkit is a package of six steps to make schools safer for children. It aims to help teachers…, Teachers mentioned that there had been a reduction in corporal punishment and that positive discipline had become more common. Between baseline and end-line, only 1 per cent of schools still reported using corporal punishment, as compared to 96 per cent at baseline., Improved governance. , Girls were more involved in leadership and the school governance structures felt more effective. At the end line, 95 per cent of school management committees were meeting at least once a term compared to 53 per cent at baseline., Reduced dropouts and absenteeism of students, . The programme’s activities, such as handling different forms of child abuse in a more effective manner, following up with students who drop out due to family break-ups, and managing girls’ menstrual hygiene, greatly contributed to this reduction in dropout rates and absenteeism., Improved communication between learners, parents and teachers , as a result of instituting parent, teacher and learner committees., Increased participation of children in school activities , through, for example, more active suggestion boxes where pupils aired their views for change. Students were also reported to be more respectful, disciplined, confident, assertive, and good time-keepers by teachers., Improvements in the school environment. , Learners and teachers reported that their schools had better water and sanitation facilities after the intervention.   Lessons learned As with any project, adapting the Good School Toolkit to the refugee setting came with some challenges. Lessons learned include: It is key to understand community needs, vulnerabilities and opportunities before…, http://raisingvoices.org/good-school/ http://raisingvoices.org/ Adapting the Good School Toolkit to a Refugee Context A case study from End Violence Grantee AVSI Foundation Refugee children around the world are struggling to continue their education and learn. After being forced from their home countries, many refugee children suffer from some…

The Safe to Learn Strategic Roadmap (2020) outlines a collective vision and practical agenda for ending violence in and through schools. Developed by the Safe to Learn Coalition, it identifies priority areas for coordinated action, clarifies roles and contributions across sectors, and provides a shared framework for building political will and supporting country-level implementation to ensure children are free to learn, thrive, and pursue their potential.This Roadmap serves as both a strategic guide and a reference point for measuring progress, helping partners align advocacy, policy, investment, research, and programming towards the Safe to Learn initiative’s goals. By translating global commitment into specific actions, it supports governments, donors, civil society and UN agencies in strengthening systems, policies, and practices that prevent and respond to school-related violence. 

This UNESCO publication provides a comprehensive overview of global and regional prevalence and trends related to school-related violence and examines the nature and impact of school violence and bullying. It reviews national responses, focusing on countries that have seen positive trends in prevalence and identifies factors that have contributed…, Published date:, October 2019, Language(s):, English, French, Italian, Spanish