“Don’t children deserve better than that?”

Sue BerelowitzDeputy Children’s Commissioner for England

andCarlene Firmin

Senior Policy Officer, ROTA

Children’s Commissioner (CA 2004) has a duty to:• promote awareness of the views and interests of children

• consider or research any matter relating to children

• encourage people who work with children to gather their views and to take account of them

• focus on the five Every Child Matters outcomes

• focus on the most vulnerable children

• have regard to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)

Unique powers• to enter any premises where a child or young person is cared for except

their private home• to speak to any child in private as long as the child agrees

UNCRC• Article 3: best interests • Article 12: respect for views of the child• Article 16: right to privacy• Article 19: protection from violence• Article 24: health and health services• Article 34: protection from sexual abuse &

exploitation• Article 35: abduction• Article 36: protection from all other forms of

exploitation

At risk of Sexual Violence in SYVFemale Relatives

Threat, Reprisal, Antagonise

Female Offenders Punishment Dominance Property

Girlfriends and Sexual

PartnersPunishment,

LureReprisal

Exploitation

Distinctions and Clarifications• Multiple Perpetrator Rape• Gang-associated sexual violence• Sexual Violence as SYV• Sexual exploitation in a criminal gang context• Sexual exploitation outside of a criminal gang

context• Misuse of ‘gang-rape’

Sexual Violence, VAWG and SYV• Serious Youth Violence defined as murder,

attempted murder, GBH and weapon use where victim and offender are both under the age of 21

• Why is sexual violence not included in this?• Violence against Women rarely considers

sexual violence where both the offender and the victim are under the age of 18 – this is not the same as ‘child abuse’

“To make life better for children, they should listen to our point of view more. It is after

all our life.” (Girl, 12 years)

www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk