Keeping children safe from violence Making systems more supportive of families and accountable to child rights INSIGHTS: CHILD RIGHTS IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA

This Insight report is based on the experiences of more than 600 professionals in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Serbia and Turkey who regularly come into contact with children who have been exposed to violence. The research found that, in spite of the many recent changes in policy, legislation and practices to improve the responses to violence, the capacity of systems to address violence against children remains limited. There is reliance on informal relationships for referral of cases, poor cooperation between different sectors, and an absence of clear legal definitions of what constitutes violence – particularly in the case of physical violence, which is sometimes seen as a justified method of disciplining children. Frequently, cases of violence against children are inadequately addressed, or slip through the net entirely. However, the study found strong support among professionals working with children for more preventative and family welfare-oriented policy models and highlighted a number of promising practices that could be used to inspire future reforms.