Nearly nine out of ten
children in Swaziland suffer violent discipline in the home, a UNICEF report reveals.
Nearly four in ten suffer
sexual violence and one in three are bullied.
UNICEF (the
United Nations Children’s Fund) reports
that much of this is kept secret within the family.
UNICEF says according to
national data violent discipline in the home, which includes physical
punishment and psychological aggression, affects more than 88 per cent of all
children in Swaziland. The study findings also reveal that sexual violence and
bullying affects 38 per cent and 32 percent of children in Swaziland,
respectively.
Many children suffer more
than one kind of violence.
UNICEF reports, ‘One
staggering statistic to emerge from the data revealed that for every girl child
known to Social Welfare as having experienced sexual violence, there are an
estimated 400 girls who have never received help or assistance for sexual violence.’
Orphans and children with
disabilities were found to be more vulnerable to all types of violence. Food
insecurity and living with three or more other families during childhood years
was found to be associated with increased risk for violence in girls.
UNICEF says one of the key
factors affecting children is the concept of ‘tibi tendlu’, which translates to
‘family secrets.’ UNICEF says, ‘The widely accepted notion of keeping family
matters private to protect the family or community over the individual was
repeatedly cited as a driver of violence and was also found to be a factor
dissuading individuals from intervening when they suspect a child is abused.’
UNICEF says that some
people have faced retaliation after reporting childhood violence.
UNICEF calls for an end to
corporal punishment in all settings.
In 2016,
a global survey found children’s
rights in Swaziland were under protected and are in a ‘difficult situation’. The Realization of Children’s Rights
Index (RCRI) scored the kingdom ruled
by King Mswati III, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch 6.07 out of ten.
This
is a grade between 0 and 10 that shows the level of realization of children’s rights
in a country. The lower the score, the
lower is the realisation of rights. The RCRI index classified rights for
children in Swaziland as a ‘difficult situation’.
The
survey was conducted by Humanium, an international child sponsorship NGO
dedicated to stopping violations of children’s rights throughout the world.
It highlighted
a number of areas where children’s rights were violated. It said that some
children ‘remain starving’ while the King ‘leads a lifestyle of luxury’.
See
also
CHILD’S RIGHTS ABUSED IN SWAZILAND
SICK KIDS ‘HIDDEN TO SAVE IMAGE OF KINGDOM’
KIDS
FORCED TO WEED KING’S FIELDS
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