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 Central American countries, Guatemala suffers from gang and drug-trafficking problems, and from a long history of violence related to civil war and military regimes. Every day, an average of 2 children die as a result of violence, and 35 cases of child abuse are reported*. This deleterious climate does not spare schools: bullying, sexual abuse and violence by teachers are widespread, particularly in rural areas. 6 out of 10 children* are afraid to go to school, which increases absenteeism and drop-out 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 are among the highest in both schools and at home.
This is why, with the financial support of Swiss Solidarity and our local partner, the NGO CIPREVICA, we are setting up a project to protect children from violence in 40 public schools.
These actions are complementary to our bilingual and intercultural education programme designed to help disadvantaged children of Mayan descent make better progress at school
Training teachers to promote non-violent behaviours
Teachers will be trained to teach pupils to identify their emotions and manage them better, in order to foster harmonious and less violent relationships with their classmates. They will also be trained in comprehensive sexuality education, taking into account the different age groups on these sensitive subjects, so that they can teach pupils the knowledge and behaviour that will help them to maintain respectful social and sexual relationships, and to 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 the warning signs of problems in children and young people that require professional attention. We inform them about the legal framework for child protection and set up school child protection committees to raise awareness of the steps to be taken to identify, deal with, and refer cases of violence.
Raising children’s awareness in a fun way
Class and school projects based on plays, writing competitions, and frescoes provide an opportunity to ensure that children can recognize situations of violence and feel comfortable talking about them.
Our impact
- Pupils are aware of their rights and the concepts of consent, and know how to find help
- Parents know about forms of child abuse and child protection law
- Teachers know how to identify a child who may be a victim of violence
- Educational material on violence prevention, adapted for each age group, is available to teachers
- School committees composed 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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