Seven Strategies to End Violence Against Children

Childline Gauteng celebrates the New Dawn in South Africa, led by our president, Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa, and give thanks for his dedication and strategies beginning to rebuild our country. We look forward to an era of growth, in which we can address the structural causes of violence (recognizing that violence is always a personal choice) that our children and families face every day.  

The destruction of morale and institutional capacity caused by corruption and state capture have had a profoundly negative impact on children, families, communities and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), exacerbating historical anger and current levels of violence. 

We invite you to join the Childline Community in heeding the Presidential ‘Thuma Mina’ call, to once again engage in reconstruction and development.  Support our services aimed at ending violence against children based on seven strategies shown by international research commissioned by the World Health Organization (2016) to be effective. 

Prevention and early intervention services acting against violence makes both moral and economic sense: Save the Children South Africa estimate the cost of violence against children to be R238 billion in one year, in their publication, Violence Unwrapped (2016). 

We have a collective long-term strategy to transition to democratic human rights based communities and peaceful coexistence.  The Childline services, all aligned to Inspire – Seven Strategies to End Violence Against Children (World Health Organisation 2016), are key to promoting strength and positive values (see below).  In summary during the 2018-2019 financial year:

• 24/7 Toll Free Help Line – 337 522 calls dialled to us
• The Childline Community-Based Centres - 2081 children and their families received 9422 individual counselling sessions and 145 group sessions with 357 individuals
• The Community Awareness and Prevention Programme (CAPP) implemented the School Talks Programme in 83 schools; talks in 89 ECDs; 92 LEADers sessions; and conducted 137 presentations and workshops for 6 455 educators, parents and caregivers. CAPP reached a total of 103 712 individuals
• The Training Department facilitated 16 workshops reaching 428 people both internally and externally
• The Sunlight Safe House cared for 90 children in foster care with volunteer parents, 17 youth in our Independent Living Programme, 141 children placed in the Sunlight House Reception Centre overnight, and provided 426 overnight stays
• Community Activations done by the Counselling and CAPP teams - a total of 146 community engagements reaching 37 150 community members to promote child sensitive communities on all issues impacting on children such as violence, poverty, social grants, obtaining IDs, substance abuse, health issues and so on.

The Inspire – Seven Strategies to End Violence Against Children, published by the World Health Organization (2016) confirm, through international research, that the above services are all key to promoting peaceful relations for youth:

• Implementation and enforcement of laws
  While South Africa has outstanding legislation and policy pertaining to children, accessing justice is often extremely problematic.  We advocate for the right to protection and legal services for each individual client survivor of crime. 

• Norms and values
  Through our community activations, training and counselling services we promote positive cultural values of African Humanism and child rearing practices.  Providing information and alternatives to the harmful practices of: all forms of abuse; Ukuthwala (child marriages); corporal punishment; gender based violence; illegal initiation schools; etc., promotes knowledge and empowerment as well as prevention and restitution for survivors.

• Safe environments
  Safety tips for caregivers and children and public calls for communities to be aware of vulnerable youth aid in the co-creation of safer environments.

• Parent and caregiver support
  We offer comprehensive positive parenting workshops and public talks at clinics and schools within communities as well as individual telephone and face to face counselling sessions.

• Income and economic strengthening
  This is promoted by sharing information and referrals for social grants and identification documents.

• Response and support services
  Face to face and telephone counselling, foster care services and overnight emergency care for those in life threatening circumstance promote healing for children and families.

• Education and life skills
  Provided in our awareness and prevention project in primary schools.
  
  Our SA Constitution and Bill of Rights provide a guide to the restoration of our values and the reclaiming of our hard-won democracy through the principles of equality, dignity and life. The Childline Gauteng mission seeks to implement this Bill of Rights.
  
  Our expertise, having implementing all seven strategies for the past 30 years is well established.  We are the one children’s organisation that works around the clock, 365 days a year. We are dedicated to finding solutions to ensure that this generation have the emotional, spiritual and mental intelligence to positively advance the country into the future.
  We therefore urge our leaders – political and corporate – to place the well-being of our children and the future adults of our society, high on their agenda.  Never give up on our children!  They are precious beyond our imaginings and a successful future South Africa is dependent on their resilience and ethical development.