The world is not a safe place for adults. But Amira El-Noshokaty discovers it is even a more dangerous place for the young Click to view caption In the year 2000, an estimated 1.6 million people worldwide lost their lives to violence, nearly 3 per 10,000 people. Almost half of these deaths were suicides, one-third homicides, and one-fifth casualties of armed conflict. Such are the alarming facts documented in the first World Report on Violence and Health, released on 3 October by the World Health Organisation, WHO. But what is violence? The WHO says it is "the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person or against a group or a community, that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, mal-development or deprivation." The definition encompasses interpersonal violence, suicidal behaviour, and armed conflicts. It applies to physical acts as to threats and intimidation, to physical as well as psychological harm. The WHO report voices concern over the impact of violence on the young. In 2000, violence among young people left an estimated 199,000 youths (aged 10 to 29) dead. For every young person killed, 20 to 40 were hospitalised with injuries. Violence against children is particularly acute in the Middle East, where children suffer not only the violence of armed conflict but also that prompted by extreme poverty. Last July, Egypt hosted the first Annual Conference on Mental Health and Violence. The conference included workshops for Arab social workers and child psychology specialists involved in treating young victims of violence. Palestine was, naturally, a main theme of their discussions. "After a 40-day siege in Bethlehem, the most common symptoms among children were anxiety and fear," said a Palestinians specialist attending the conference. "When a child is asked what kind of toy s/he wants, a common answer is barouda, or a rifle. Children as young as three would ask for knives to protect themselves. With all the constant bombing, children have ceased to feel that their mother and father are their source of protection," she said. The Lod Charitable Society is one of several organisations that attempt to help children deal with the traumatic situation in Palestine. "During the curfew, we worked on the psychological impact of events on children. We are active in Nablus and some of the camps. Children would come to our focus groups and let out their frustrations with songs, paintings, and various indoor activities," said Walid Al-Salhi, general director of the Lod Society. The Society has set up a hotline for children. "A nine-year-old girl once called us to say that she suffered uncontrolled urination, vomiting and nightmares. She needed someone to explain what was wrong," recounted Al-Salhi. Can any of this make much difference, considering that the violence is still ongoing? "The violence is constantly there. There are very few children who actually cease to be afraid, but they become more resistant," said Nesrine Bosheya, a sociologist with the Palestinian Guidance Centre for Children and Women. In Egypt, children suffer from other types of violence, especially the domestic variety that poverty may accentuate. "We agree with the WHO definition of violence. However, violence against children in Egypt is particularly complex," says Dr Hoda El-Tahawi, who heads the Development and Gender Unit at the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood. A common form of violence practiced against girls, she said, is that of early marriage to elderly foreigners. Female Genital Mutilation is still widespread and there are hundreds of homeless children on our streets who are practically defenceless, she notes. With over 30 million people under the age of 18, Egypt has good reason to worry about the future of its young. Having declared a second "Child Decade", the government is endorsing programmes to help children in economically deprived areas. One such area is Manshiyet Nasser in Cairo, a district known for the preponderance of child labour and the lack of adequate health care. "One of our aims for the development of the area is to ban child labour. We have day-care centres in which the child is given health care and offered a daily meal. We also provide children with special literacy classes they can attend before going to work. So far, we are working with 1,500 boys and girls," said Dr El-Tahawi. Her team is now examining the deeper causes for violence, both at home and in the workplace. She notes that poverty, ignorance, and the need for child- generated income heighten the plight of children in that neighbourhood and similar ones across the country. Violence against children is the focus of growing international concern. In 1989, the International Conference for the Rights of the Child produced a convention on child protection. Egypt was one of the first countries to sign the convention, which called, among other things, for ending the economic and sexual exploitation of children, for rehabilitating young victims of violence, and for assisting children with inadequate family care. In 1996, Egypt issued the Unified Child Law, underlining children right for education and recognising the needs of the physically challenged. The law, however, does not tackle the issue of domestic violence or the wounding and beating of minors. To this date, there are no laws in Egypt that explicitly define what constitutes acceptable discipline in the home, notes a UNICEF report released last August. "Violence is practiced against children without the recognition that it is violence. This is especially true in the case of domestic violence," says Mushira Khattab, secretary general of the National Council of Motherhood and Childhood, pointing out that experts are currently drafting a national plan to raise awareness of that issue nationwide. "Many parents do not understand the rights of their children. There is a code of silence regarding this issue, and it has to be broken," Khattab adds. The plight of children faced living in conditions of violence is gaining more international recognition, but much still needs to be done. "Many who live with violence day in and day out assume that it is an instinct part of the human condition. But this is not so. Violence can be prevented. Violence cultures can be turned around. In my own country and around the world, we have shining examples of how violence has been countered. Governments, communities and individuals can make a difference," says Nelson Mandela in his forward to the World Report on Violence and Health.
