Global Report on Human Settlements 2007 - PoA-ISS

58
Urban crime and violence
Percentage of victims
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Figure 3.11
Africa
Asia
Latin
America
Central and
Eastern Europe
North America
Western Europe
Trends in victimization,
selected crimes
(1996–2000)
Source: del Frate, 2003, p135
Figure 3.12
Survey respondents
who have suffered
burglary during the
previous year
Source: UNODC, 2005b, p63
Percentage of victims
8
6
4
2
0
Sub-Saharan
Africa
Asia
1996 2000
Burglary
1996 2000
Robbery
1996 2000
Assault with force
of a woman’s male partner to become abusive include use of
drugs/alcohol; unemployment status; economic pressures;
and witnessing parental violence during childhood. 53 In
some settings, local cultures, community attitudes and social
norms significantly influence the likelihood of violence
taking place between intimate partners. For instance, in
Zambia, the 2002 Demographic and Health Survey shows
that 79 per cent of married women believe that domestic
violence is justified when a woman goes out without the
permission of her husband. 54 Similarly, in India, married
women with low dowries expect to be victims of domestic
violence, not only at the hands of their husbands, but also at
the hands of their inlaws. 55
Violent households are often venues for child abuse.
Child abuse includes physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological/verbal
abuse, commercial or other exploitation of
children, as well as neglect and negligent treatment of
children. As with many crimes, there is no ‘universal’ definition
of child abuse. For example, some definitions include
witnessing parental violence as child maltreatment, whereas
others do not. Vast numbers of children are exposed to
violence each year. The United Nations estimates that
Oceania South-Central West-Central Southeast
America Europe Europe
North
America
East
Europe
between 133 million and 275 million children experience
violence at home annually, with the largest proportion in
South, Western and Eastern Asia, as well as in sub-Saharan
Africa. 56 Boys and girls are often equally subjected to child
abuse by family members and are equally victimized by child
labour exploitation. However, globally, girls make up 98 per
cent of children who are sexually exploited. 57
Most children experience abuse at the hands of their
primary caregivers – parents and step-parents – with abuse
largely taking place within the home. Consequently, some
children either run away from home or are removed by
authorities and placed in foster care or orphanages. In 2003,
12 per cent of children in sub-Saharan Africa, 7 per cent in
Asia and 6 per cent in Latin America and the Caribbean were
living in orphanages. 58 A major factor contributing to the
high rates of children in orphanages is the death of parents
largely attributable to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Many
orphaned children are at great risk of abuse and exploitation.
59 Early marriage is also used by victimized children as a
means of escaping abuse. It is important to note that there
are other reasons why youths may marry early, including
cultural tradition, religious reasons or to obtain financial
security.
Children are increasingly being victimized outside
their homes – in schools and hospitals and by individuals
other than primary caregivers, such as teachers, police or
clergy in the workplace and in community settings at large. 60
The World <strong>Report</strong> on Violence and Health reports that
57,000 children were murdered internationally in 2000.
Aside from the fundamental violations of human rights that
these cases present, child abuse often has been cited as a
major risk factor linked to future criminal behaviour, and
recent research firmly supports that contention. 61
Street children
Interpersonal violence, child abuse, family disintegration and
poverty contribute to the growing numbers of street
children and families across the world. Recent global
estimates indicate there are likely to be tens of millions of
street children, and some estimates place the number as
high as 100 million. 62 Other more localized studies point to
250,000 street children in Kenya, 150,000 in Ethiopia,
12,000 in Zimbabwe, 445,226 in Bangladesh, 30,000 in
Nepal and 11 million in India. 63 The United Nations
Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates there are more than
6000 street children in the Central African Republic. 64 It is
estimated that there are hundreds of thousands of street
children in Latin America, with a significant proportion in
Brazil. 65 Future approximations project increasing numbers
of street children, growing especially with the pace of urbanization.
66 The growth in the numbers of street children is
illustrated by the situation in Kenya, where the numbers of
street families and children have developed almost exponentially,
as discussed in Box 3.2. In the absence of any form of
formal assistance, many street children turn to crime as a
survival strategy and eventually become easy targets for
membership of youth gangs.