Violence Against Children and Its Types
Violence against children is a global problem that has numerous long-term negative consequences for both the child and society as a whole. It is a phenomenon that is widely recognized, yet often ignored. This is largely because those subjected to it are children—individuals who are unable to protect themselves and who may not even realize that they have become victims of violence. Violence, in any form, is an expression of cruelty; when it is directed against a child, it becomes an act of inhumanity.
The World Health Organization defines violence as the intentional use of physical force or power, whether actual or threatened, against oneself, another person, a group, or a community, which results in—or has a high likelihood of resulting in—injury, death, psychological harm, developmental disorders, or other forms of damage. It is important to note that such outcomes—injury, death, or psychological trauma—do not refer to accidental harm; rather, the emphasis is placed on deliberate actions involving the use of power over the victim.
When discussing violence, one often imagines scenes of physical abuse—acts causing bodily harm, rape, coercion into sexual acts, and other forms of brutality. However, this perception is limited. The Convention on the Rights of the Child establishes fundamental obligations for states to protect children from all forms of violence, as particularly emphasized in Article 19. Nevertheless, the Convention itself does not provide an exhaustive list or precise definitions of the various forms of violence, relying instead on general categories such as:
physical violence
mental (emotional) violence
abuse and maltreatment
neglect (negligent treatment)
exploitation, including sexual exploitation
In this context, in 2023, UNICEF introduced a document entitled International Classification of Violence against Children (ICVAC). This document provides a comprehensive international classification of types of violence against children, accompanied by operational definitions and detailed descriptions. It identifies the following forms of violence:
Homicide of a child — any deliberate, unwanted, and non-essential act that leads to, or is intended to cause, the death of a child.
Physical violence against a child — any deliberate, unwanted, and non-essential act involving the use of physical force against a child’s body that results in, or has a high likelihood of resulting in, injury, pain, or psychological suffering.
Sexual violence against a child — any deliberate, unwanted, and non-essential sexual act, whether completed or attempted, perpetrated against a child, including for exploitative purposes, that results in, or has a high likelihood of resulting in, injury, pain, or psychological suffering.
Psychological violence against a child — any deliberate, unwanted, and non-essential act, verbal or non-verbal, that harms or has a high likelihood of harming a child’s development, including long-term physiological harm and mental health consequences.
Neglect of a child — the deliberate, unwanted, and non-essential failure to meet a child’s physical or psychological needs, to protect a child from danger, or to obtain necessary medical, educational, or other services when those responsible for the child’s care have the means, knowledge, and access to do so.
It should be emphasized that ICVAC does not have legally binding status. Unlike the Convention, it is not an international treaty but rather serves as a recommendatory and methodological framework. Its main purpose is to promote:
consistency in terminology;
effective data collection and analysis;
the development of targeted policies and programs in the field of child protection.
Thus, violence against children manifests in various forms, ranging from psychological abuse to physical and sexual violence. However, all of these forms leave a profound and lasting impact on a child’s life.
Violence against children is a global problem that has numerous long-term negative consequences for both the child and society as a whole. It is a phenomenon that is widely recognized, yet often ignored. This is largely because those subjected to it are children—individuals who are unable to protect themselves and who may not even realize that they have become victims of violence. Violence, in any form, is an expression of cruelty; when it is directed against a child, it becomes an act of inhumanity.
The World Health Organization defines violence as the intentional use of physical force or power, whether actual or threatened, against oneself, another person, a group, or a community, which results in—or has a high likelihood of resulting in—injury, death, psychological harm, developmental disorders, or other forms of damage. It is important to note that such outcomes—injury, death, or psychological trauma—do not refer to accidental harm; rather, the emphasis is placed on deliberate actions involving the use of power over the victim.
When discussing violence, one often imagines scenes of physical abuse—acts causing bodily harm, rape, coercion into sexual acts, and other forms of brutality. However, this perception is limited. The Convention on the Rights of the Child establishes fundamental obligations for states to protect children from all forms of violence, as particularly emphasized in Article 19. Nevertheless, the Convention itself does not provide an exhaustive list or precise definitions of the various forms of violence, relying instead on general categories such as:
physical violence
mental (emotional) violence
abuse and maltreatment
neglect (negligent treatment)
exploitation, including sexual exploitation
In this context, in 2023, UNICEF introduced a document entitled International Classification of Violence against Children (ICVAC). This document provides a comprehensive international classification of types of violence against children, accompanied by operational definitions and detailed descriptions. It identifies the following forms of violence:
Homicide of a child — any deliberate, unwanted, and non-essential act that leads to, or is intended to cause, the death of a child.
Physical violence against a child — any deliberate, unwanted, and non-essential act involving the use of physical force against a child’s body that results in, or has a high likelihood of resulting in, injury, pain, or psychological suffering.
Sexual violence against a child — any deliberate, unwanted, and non-essential sexual act, whether completed or attempted, perpetrated against a child, including for exploitative purposes, that results in, or has a high likelihood of resulting in, injury, pain, or psychological suffering.
Psychological violence against a child — any deliberate, unwanted, and non-essential act, verbal or non-verbal, that harms or has a high likelihood of harming a child’s development, including long-term physiological harm and mental health consequences.
Neglect of a child — the deliberate, unwanted, and non-essential failure to meet a child’s physical or psychological needs, to protect a child from danger, or to obtain necessary medical, educational, or other services when those responsible for the child’s care have the means, knowledge, and access to do so.
It should be emphasized that ICVAC does not have legally binding status. Unlike the Convention, it is not an international treaty but rather serves as a recommendatory and methodological framework. Its main purpose is to promote:
consistency in terminology;
effective data collection and analysis;
the development of targeted policies and programs in the field of child protection.
Thus, violence against children manifests in various forms, ranging from psychological abuse to physical and sexual violence. However, all of these forms leave a profound and lasting impact on a child’s life.
Erkinova Amina
