Alerts on Cases of Violence Against Children in Schools: Human Rights Defender

The Human Rights Defender's Office of Armenia regularly receives information regarding incidents of violence against children in public educational institutions. These alerts pertain not only to physical violence but also psychological abuse, highlighting the lack of communication skills among teachers when interacting with children. To address these issues, the Human Rights Defender and the representatives of the office routinely conduct visits to public educational institutions. This information comes from the Office of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia.

The Human Rights Defender has repeatedly addressed the recognition of all forms of violence against children, the response to such incidents, and the existing problems regarding violence prevention in the Republic of Armenia. These issues have also been noted by several international organizations. Among other things, the problems stem from improper perceptions of types of violence by competent authorities, leading to the non-recognition of violence and, as a result, the occasional application of it during work with children. Additionally, there is a lack of mechanisms for identifying, preventing, and responding to incidents of violence in institutions. Given the recent context of frequent alerts regarding violence, the Human Rights Defender finds this situation particularly concerning.

Despite a collaborative approach exhibited by the competent authorities and public educational institutions during monitoring visits and in other areas related to children's rights protection, there are cases where the staff of educational institutions are unaware of the mandate and authority of the Human Rights Defender, which can pose additional obstacles to the Defender's efforts in fulfilling their responsibilities in this area. It is important to emphasize that the Defender monitors the implementation of the provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child adopted on November 20, 1989, as well as the prevention and protection against violations of children's rights. Within the scope of these powers, in accordance with the law on the Human Rights Defender, the Defender and their representatives are authorized to conduct periodical and, when necessary, unannounced visits to institutions responsible for the care and protection of children, as well as public educational institutions.

Moreover, according to the law on the Human Rights Defender, the Defender is not obliged to notify in advance about the time and purpose of visits. In this regard, the Defender underscores the importance of serious measures by competent authorities both in the establishment and improvement of mechanisms for identifying, preventing, and responding to incidents of violence and in raising the awareness level of relevant persons regarding the Human Rights Defender's mandate. Violence against children in all its forms is a serious issue, and the lack of proper procedures to address it can lead to irreversible consequences.