Protecting Children From Violence
From 2024 to 2026
6’000
primary school pupils to benefit from the programme
7’500
parents and community members are made aware of issues
264
teachers trained
Like many countries in Central America, Guatemala suffers from gang violence and drug trafficking, and has a long history of violence linked to civil war and military regimes. Every day, on average, two children die as a result of violence and 35 cases of abuse are reported*. This toxic environment also affects schools: bullying, sexual abuse and violence by teachers are widespread, particularly in rural areas. Six out of ten children are afraid to go to school, which increases absenteeism and school dropout rates.
Preventing Violence in Schools
In the economically and socially disadvantaged regions of the departments of Alta Verapaz and Chimaltenango, physical, psychological and/or sexual violence against children is among the highest both in schools and at home.
That is why, with financial support from the Chaîne du Bonheur and our local partner, the NGO CIPREVICA, we are setting up a project to protect children from violence in 40 public schools.
These actions complement our bilingual and intercultural education programme, which aims to help disadvantaged children of Mayan origin to progress better in the classroom.
Training Teachers to Promote non-violent Behaviour
Teachers will be trained to teach pupils to recognise their emotions and manage them better, in order to foster harmonious and less violent relationships with their classmates. They will also receive comprehensive sexuality education, taking into account the different age groups when dealing with these sensitive topics, so that they can teach students the knowledge and behaviours that will help them maintain respectful social and sexual relationships and understand and protect their own rights and those of others.
The teaching materials developed with the support of our specialists are rooted in Mayan culture and values.
Identifying and Protecting Children who are Victims of Violence
We train parents and teachers to recognise warning signs indicating problems in children and young people who require professional care. We inform them about the legal framework for child protection and set up school committees for child protection to raise awareness of the steps to be taken to identify, manage and refer cases of violence.
Raising Awareness Among Children in a Fun Way
Classroom and school projects based on plays, writing competitions and mural painting provide opportunities to ensure that children can recognise situations of violence and feel comfortable talking about them.
Our Impact
- Pupils know their rights and understand the concept of consent and know how to find help
- Parents are aware of the different forms of violence against children and child protection legislation
- Teachers know how to identify a child who may be a victim of violence
- Age-appropriate educational materials on violence prevention are available to teachers
- School committees made up of parents, teachers and student representatives ensure that changes are sustainable within the school
Local Partner
Financial Partner
Source:
* UNICEF, Romper el círculo vicioso de la violencia (2019), consulté décembre 2023 https://www.unicef.org/guatemala/comunicados-prensa/romper-el-c%C3%ADrculo-vicioso-de-la-violencia-todas-las-ni%C3%B1as-ni%C3%B1os-y-adolescentes
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