Brazil debates child and youth violence

Violence affects Brazilian children and adolescents in different ways.
Consequently, different instruments and programs are also required to combat it. When a young person comes from the low-income portion of the population, the likelihood of death is even greater.

This could be a summary of the book, Violence in the Life Cycle of the Child, produced by the United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) under the coordination of professor Jailson Silva, UNICEF consultant in the area of violence against children and adolescents.
According to Silva, a researcher at the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UFF), the book points to the existence of a paradox in the country: Infant mortality is on the wane, and adolescent deaths are mounting. “Therefore, we are gradually creating better conditions to keep children alive for them to die later in adolescence,” he asserts.

The book was launched yesterday (23), during the National Conference on Violence Against Children and Adolescents, at the seat of the Latin American Parliament, in São Paulo. According to Silva, the purpose of the study is to ascertain the dynamics of violence against youth in Brazil.
Both the book and the conclusions of the Conference will be incorporated into a Brazilian Platform for the Confrontation of Child and Youth Violence, which will form part of a global study proposed by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
“The study is divided into four parts: a general reflection on violence, especially against youth; a more detailed look at violence in Brazil and its distribution; an evaluation of the quality of existing national data; and recommendations for the construction of a national platform to combat the problem,” the professor informed.

The National Conference on Violence Against Children and Adolescents will proceed through Thursday (25). The event is sponsored by the UNICEF and the Brazilian government.

Marcelo Gutierres
Translation: David Silberstein
24 August 2005

http://internacional.radiobras.gov.br/ingles/materia_i_2004.php?materia=237075&q=1&editoria=

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