VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN IN ALBANIA

ISSUE 1: Situation on violence against children in the country based on available data. This is official data, NGO data, etc .

ISSUE 2: Strengths (S) and Weaknesses (W) of Albania in response to violence against children incidents;

ISSUE 3: Challenges (Ch) and Opportunities (O) in the current policy environment in Albania with regards to adequate response to violence cases.

PRESENTATION OVERVIEW

DEFINITION OF CHILD VIOLATION, BASED IN ALBANIAN LEGISLATION

"Violence against children" is the intentional use of physical force or other forms of force, even by threat, against a child or a group of children, which results or is likely to result in injury, death, psychological damage, deviation or deprivation.(This definition is based on law 10347 “On the protection of children rights“).

• Un- registered children; • Children in street situation• Children living in families in extreme poverty • Children out of parental care;• Children that do not attend the school;• Children victims of different types of violence

(bulling) • Children in different settings (formal care,

school)• Others

WHICH CATEGORIES OF CHILDREN ARE MOST VULNERABLE AND EXPOSED TO BE VIOLATED?

GENERAL DATA

• Average age in Albania is 32.8 years old (INSTAT 2008);

• Number of children <18 years old (for year 2011) is 1,190,538 (from 4,271,396 registered citizens in total)

• 0-18 years old age-group constitutes (approx) 1/3 of the whole population or 28%.

Vlore

Tirane

Shkoder

Lezhe

Kukes

Korce

Gjirokaster

Fier

Elbasan

Durres

Diber

Berat

• 953 children are treated nearby CPU, in national level. (2011-2012)

• 5,014 cases of violated children are reported near by Albanian National Child Helpline (2010).

• 37 children has been registered and treated on the “National Center for Treatment of Domestic Violence Victims”. (year 2012)

CHILD ABUSE

ISSUE 1

CHILD LABOR

• 280 children that are working are identified during the year 2011; In comparison with the past yearsm, there are 237 on 2009 and 297 on 2010.

• Referring to the employment of children 5-14 years, it reaches to 12%, of which 14% are boys and 9% are girls.

•(UNICEF in The State of the World’s Children 2011),

ISSUE 1

CHILDREN IN STREET SITUATION

• There are indentified (approx) 300 children mostly roma living in the street (ARSIS, 2011)

ISSUE 1

POOR CHILDREN

In Albania, during a year 2010, 1 in 8 children (group age 6-15 years old) lives in poor family. These poor families are families that are treated with economic assistance from the State. Observatory

for Children Rights, Draft report “Social Protection of Children in Albania, 2009”.

ISSUE 1

56

54

56

54

58

55

56

55

54

54

56

55

1

2

11

12

27

8

4

3

10

1

23

Vlore

Tirane

Shkoder

Lezhe

Kukes

Korce

Gjirokaster

Fier

Elbasan

Durres

Diber

Berat

Legjenda

58

11

58

31

59

7

58

57

9

57

1

56

12

57

Vlore

Tirane

Shkoder

Lezhe

Kukes

Korce

Gjirokaster

Fier

Elbasan

Durres

Diber

Berat

Children 6-15 years old that live in poor families, are living mostly in North part of the country, in region of: Kukës 27%, Dibër 23%, Lezhë 12% and Shkodër 11%.

% of 6-15 children in regional level, year 2010; % of 6-15 children living in poor families in regional level, 2010

Year 2009

Year 2010

OTHER PHENOMENA THAT CAUSE CHILD VIOLATION

• Birth Registration• Education• Child Marriage• Sexual Exploitation of Children

ISSUE 1

STATISTICAL DATA AND INFORMATION REGARDING CHILD VIOLATION CASES

• 57.7% of children reported being physically battered by a family member (INSTAT 2009).

• 56.8% of children reported a family member slapped, punched or kicked them (INSTAT 2009).

• 12.8% of children reported that someone in their family hit them with objects, and 4% reported they were burned with cigarettes or another hot object (INSTAT 2009).

• 75% of Albanian children has experienced at least one form of physical or psychological violence (INSTAT 52008-2009)

• The statistics of the State Police indicate a number of 699 children harmed as result of several criminal offences of which 120 were cases of domestic violence during the year 2010.

• 3,5 % of the Albanian children and their families lives in extreme poverty.

ISSUE 1

Albanian children and their families lives in extreme poverty (CRC, 2012)

Children reported that someone in their family hit them with objects, and 4% reported they were burned with cigarettes or another hot object (INSTAT 2009)

Children reported a family member slapped, punched or kicked them (INSTAT 2009)

Children surveyed, reported being physically battered by a family member (INSTAT 2009)

Albanian children has experienced at least one form of physical or psychological violence (INSTAT 52008-2009)

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

80.00%

3.50%

12.80%

56.80%

57.70%

75.00%

STATISTICAL DATA AND INFORMATION REGARDING CHILD VIOLATION CASES

ISSUE 1

CHILDREN IN STREET SITUATION- A STORY COMING FROM ARSIS

TIRANA, SEPTEMBER 2012

After age 12 years, mainly boys, are involved in different unstable jobs, as: picking cans, scrap metal, parking-place insurance, selling various items; About girls (mostly Roma girls) after the age of 12, usually stay at home doing different work and “waiting for a marriage”.

Somehow, children working and living in street can be divided into:

• away from family residence (Runaways),• abandoned orphans, • semi-orphans;

This does not include children who sell different items on the street (ambulatory or not).

ISSUE 1

ABOUT STREET CHILDREN

The main causes of the children living on the street, are:- Economic reason, - all come extreme poor families, without

sustainable sources of income;- Living in dysfunctional families, such as: separated parents,

irresponsible parents, children without parents or with one parent;

Violence, exploitation, abuse, neglect, the difficult economic situation, expulsion from the family, - force some children to leave their family and to live on the streets as 'independent' (runaways).

ISSUE 1

CATEGORIES OF CHILDREN THAT ARE OUT OF “INSTITUTIONS ATTENTION”

• Children working in fishing manufacture;

• Children working in agriculture;

• Children working in farming;• Children working in mines;

ISSUE 1

(S) – LAW IMPROVEMENT LANDSCAPE

• Law approval about “Protection of Child Rights” on 04/ 11/ 2010 (law nr. 10347);

• Approval of National Action Plan for Children 2012 – 2015• Law approval (Law nr. 10425, date 02/06/2011) about the ratification

of the European Council Convention “For the exercise of children's rights”;

• Law approval about the ratification of the European Council Convention “Legal status of children born out of marriage”;

• Other law improvement: Within the time frame of these two years (2011 – 2012), there are eight (8) DMC approved, - which are aiming a better implementation of the law “Protection of Child Rights” ;

• 84 new indicators, already adopted in the long term program of statistics, as per fields: poverty, health care and nutrition, education, social protection, public expenditures.

ISSUE 2

(S) – INSTITUTIONS SET UP AND STRENGTHENING

• In Central level:• Is set up National Council for the protection of children

rights (03/ 08/ 2011);• Is set up National Agency for the protection of children

rights (18/ 03/ 2011);• Agreement establishment among different Institutions;

ISSUE 2

(S) – INSTITUTIONS SET UP AND STRENGTHENING

ISSUE 2

In Local level:• Setting up “Child Rights Unit (CRU)” in Regional

level; Actually are set up in 11 Regions from 12, (except Korca region);

• Setting up “Child Protection Unit (CPU)” in Municipality/ Commune level; Actually are set up 65 CPU from 374 Municipalities/ Commune in National level, by covering only 17% of the country;

(S) – LOCAL POLICY ESTABLISHMENT

ISSUE 2

• There are developed and are in process of implementation the local strategies and/ or action plan for the right of the child. From 12 regions of the country, 10 of them has set up these Strategies/ Plans.

(S) – RECENTLY LOCAL ACTION UNDERTAKEN

During August 2012, Ministry of Social Affair and Ministry of Interior , took urgent action to stop street children begging;

(W) - LOCAL POLICY AND INSTITUTIONS ESTABLISHMENT

• The lack of financial plans and resources put in place in local level for addressing the issues and needs of children rights;

• The lack of development of progress monitoring reports;

• Addressing of factors that make some children more vulnerable to violence and its different forms (like poverty, social exclusion, ethnicity etc.)

• Clarification of the competences of each of the actors involved in the protection system.

ISSUE 2

• In communes, there are very few pre-school institutions and where there exist they are un-stimulating and unsafe for young children.

• It is necessary to take concrete steps to strengthen children participation, including in decision making, through the student’s governments, youth parliaments and other bodies.

(W) - LOCAL POLICY AND INSTITUTIONS ESTABLISHMENT

ISSUE 2

(CH) - LOCAL INSTITUTIONS ESTABLISHMENT

• Capacity development of local administrative staff, CPU and CRU staff;

• Positive opinion developed and culture improvement of each grown up person, regarding the wellbeing of the child, about education and communication with non violent methods;

• Setting up a national data base, open to public and everybody interested, regarding the regularly monitoring of children rights indicators (monthly data/ 6 months data/ annual data, etc).

ISSUE 3

(CH) - LOCAL INSTITUTIONS ESTABLISHMENT

• Sensitizing campaign and trainings delivery for addressing positive parenting;

• A clear referral mechanism must be established for the cases of violated children, by providing shelter, health and psychological services; also protection and re-integration services must be provided to them.

ISSUE 3

(CH) – IN RESPONSE TO SPECIAL ISSUE OF CHILDREN RIGHTS

• Children living in blood feud paradox reality have no right for development and prosperity.

• Children leaving in street. • Institutionalized Children;• Child birth registration, motioning here Roma families; • Children living in poor families;• The implementation of this new practice of “family

foster care” has started with 80 families.

ISSUE 3

(O) – Local Institutions establishment

• To set up CRU and CPU in each region, municipality and commune;

• By approaching day by day EU standards, Albania has the opportunity to better enforce the law in the country in guaranteeing children rights;

• The possibility to develop and implement new initiatives in local, national and regional level ,- based on EU grants and funds (as it is IPA, FP7 and others).

• Cooperation and networking with International organization from EU countries, but not only.

ISSUE 3

(O) – Local Institutions establishmentISSUE 3

• Experience exchange and networking within NGOs operating within Albania or Balkan counties;

• The experience of NGOs in Albania in acting, analyzing, providing support to violated children.

• Better coordination among Institutions, by defining each actor role and responsibility in local and central level).

Thank you for your attention!

Albanian Delegation