The UN children's rights catalogue which has been ratified by almost all states in the world confronts a reality, which in clear figures clearly shows the living conditions and prospects for the future generations: Across the world, 223 million children are subject to sexual violence. Even in the industrial countries around 3,500 children die as a result of abuse and neglect every year. It is only explicitly forbidden to use physical force as a means of disciplining children in 16 countries. A total of 200 million children have to work and 1.2 million are victims of child trafficking. Millions of children are victims of war and displacement and suffer from actually treatable diseases and a lack of resources.
Care persons at SOS Children's Villages are confronted with the consequences of these violations on a daily basis - mainly with the fact that neglect, abuse, experience of separation and violence as well as the loss of a family leave mental injuries in the child. The children can only rid themselves of the destructive effects of these traumas through gradual and careful relationship work, while in many cases therapeutic intervention is required.
It has been proven that there is a direct correlation between external factors - political, economic and social - and the inner stability of families. All political and economic decision-makers are called upon to take steps and create framework conditions to support families and protect children.
Together with other NGOs, SOS Children's Villages lobbies for children's interests and needs. Child welfare organisations are responsible for giving children a voice in all possible committees and for establishing firm requirements so that children can have better living conditions. This is one way of giving children access to their rights. Another way is to actually put the ball in their court, so that they are not only seen as "victims" who depend on the help of adults, but that they rather see themselves as social actors who have a say, are allowed to set limits, have a right to protection and can ask for help.
All the levels within SOS Children's Villages - whether SOS mothers, village directors, educational co-workers, kindergarten nurses - are included in this process. It involves forming opinions, creating awareness and creating a security network for children entrusted to the care of SOS Children's Villages. When developing child protection guidelines, in the respective countries we also work together with other NGOs such as UNICEF or Save the Children. SOS Children's Villages is a member of the Keeping Children Safe Coalition, which has developed a special range of methods and material providing adults with instructions on the topic of child protection.