Violence against children, the voices of Ugandan ... - Raising Voices

percent described crying loudly to attract attentionor hiding to avoid the immediate violence. Onlyone in five, mostly younger children, said they didnothing when violence was committed againstthem.When asked what should be done to preventviolence against children, most children preferredcaution and sensitivity. They urged for a nonpunitiveresponse, such as engaging parents (79.4percent) and teachers (73.9 percent) in a dialogueabout how to relate more equitably with children.They suggested engaging a broad cross sectionof adults in a similar dialogue through communitywideactions. They recommended the creation oflocal response mechanisms that would meet theneeds of children when violence was perpetratedagainst them. Relatively fewer children suggestedthe involvement of police (56.9 percent).Most adults (90 percent) agreed that in theircommunities, children were deliberately beaten,shouted at, and denied food or basic needs, yetthey hesitated to label these acts as “violence.”They preferred the word “punishment,” explaininghow adults use these acts to guide children. Theadults conceptualised punishment as moderateand acceptable acts and described violence asexcessive and inappropriate punishments, whichthey preferred calling “mistreatment.” Althoughmany adults insisted that they knew the differencebetween punishing a child and mistreating a child,almost half (46.8 percent) said they would withdrawbasic needs from a child as a form of punishment.Thirty seven percent of adults said that children intheir communities were “frequently mistreated,”and a further 55.1 percent said that children were“sometimes mistreated.”Most adults (91.3 percent) described using acombination of physical and emotional punishmentto control children, most commonly caning,shouting, and assigning physical work (above andbeyond normal chores). When compared to reportsfrom children, adults consistently under-reportedthe extent of punishment they inflicted on children(with the exception of caning and glaring). Manyadults discounted ad hoc incidents of shouting,pinching, or slapping, not even considering thempunishment.When asked why they punished children, manyadults claimed that they did it to make childrencompliant, obedient, and respectful of traditions.However, many adults doubted whether theircurrent methods of punishment would ensure thisoutcome. Although 87.9 percent of adults saidthey punished children to guide them on how tobehave, only 32.6 percent firmly believed that thepunishment would change the child’s behaviour.Many adults disapproved of holding adultsaccountable for their actions against children,believing that this accountability cultivateduncontrollable behaviour in children. They resentedthe dialogue on children’s rights especiallyabout “prohibition of corporal punishment” andcomplained that it was preventing them fromdischarging their duty as adults. However despitethese sentiments, 81.7 percent of these adults saidthey punished their own children, and 57.9 percentsaid they felt comfortable punishing other childrenin the community. Clearly, adults have reacheda critical juncture regarding their relationshipwith children. The rhetoric of children’s rights asperceived by adults, particularly discussions aboutthe usage of corporal punishment, has introducedvixixix Part Executive IntroductionOne Research SummaryDesign