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Accepted Contribution:
Faith Actors and Violence Against Children
Selina Palm
(Stellenbosch University)
Olivia Wilkinson
(Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities)
This presentation discusses the state of the evidence on faith actors and violence against children (VAC) over the past two decades.
Contribution long abstract:
Violence against children (VAC) is a global problem, with at least one billion children (defined as those under the age of 18) experiencing violence every year worldwide. Faith communities can play a crucial role in ending VAC. For example, many individuals across different countries draw their beliefs around child rearing from religious sources. In the last two decades, increased documentation has emerged around the role of faith actors in relation to the task of ending VAC. Much has focused on the practical work of faith-based organizations (often large international organizations). Expert practitioners suggest however that there may be a gap between global narratives and the local realities of many faith communities whose work with children often remains informal and undocumented. Evidence shows that all religions contain protective elements for children and can offer important contributions to ending VAC due to their often-trusted position in communities. However, in the last five years, revelations around child sexual abuse in faith settings and diverse views around corporal punishment have raised questions about this role. More local research is needed to both amplify their positive potential as well as engage explicitly with harmful beliefs.