One in 10 girls sexually abused, says UN report
4 September 2014
About 120 million girls around the world - slightly more than one in 10 - have been raped or sexually assaulted by the age of 20, a UN report says. The children's agency Unicef also says 95,000 children and teenagers - most of them in Latin America and the Caribbean - were murdered in 2012 alone. It notes that children around the globe are routinely exposed to violence, including bullying. The document draws on data from 190 countries.
The violence "cuts across boundaries of age, geography, religion, ethnicity and income brackets,'' Unicef executive director Anthony Lake said. "It occurs in places where children should be safe, their homes, schools and communities. "Increasingly, it happens over the internet, and it's perpetrated by family members and teachers, neighbours and strangers and other children.'' The study revealed that about six out of 10 children aged between two and 14 were subjected to physical punishment from their carers on a regular basis. It noted that while there had been growing recognition in recent years about the impact of violence against children, it largely remained underreported and undocumented.
The report stressed that violence against children in some countries remained socially accepted or tacitly condoned, and quite often victims were too afraid to report the abuse. Never before have so many statistics been gathered from so many different countries, and together they have produced a grim global audit of violence against children, the BBC's Nick Bryant at the UN says.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-29071073
Please think of someone you know and love to whom this happens.
What can each of us do to help prevent this horrible violence?
= new reply since forum marked as read
I'd like more people to see it.
Thanks!
Yikes! Extremely disturbing report. I never knew anyone who this had happened to before until I joined a women's AA group. The women I've met are perfectly normal - kind, intelligent and humorous. You'd never know the pain they've experienced in their lives, and the hard work it's taken them to get past it. 
Thank you for posting this. We need to be much more informed than we are... 
The shame and guilt has to be overwhelming and almost impossible to talk about.
It would be tough for an adult to talk about, let alone young girls. The women I know who have experienced this turned to alcohol or drugs to self medicate and they deserve all the credit in the world for confronting it and getting past it. So many never do...
Is to have a "gratitude list." Some people write these things down, like to keep journals, but I have an ongoing one in my head. No matter how bleak things seem to be, there is always a lot to be grateful for and it's easy to forget that. One thing I'm grateful for is that I've never experienced anything like that. My parents weren't perfect, but I realize that I was very fortunate to have had the family I did and I really do have a whole lot to be grateful for. And I can learn from those whose experiences were different - and worse - than mine. 
I'm like you, I keep it in my head. Before I go off to sleep I say thanks. It usually starts with having a roof over my head, heat in the winter, and a cozy bed. It's so true, I also learn from those whose experiences were different - and worse - than ours. Think of all the amazing artists, musicians, writers, etc. who have suffered from miserable things. Not that I'm trying to pigeonhole them. But I do get inspiration from many. On a more personal level, I've started volunteering at a place called Delancey Street. It's people who are kind of given another chance at life. Amazing organization. And the folks there aren't afraid to talk about anything. They usually are funny as heck too, and make me laugh and appreciate life more. I do this mainly for myself. It improves my life.
Especially since I've been following politics and the news so closely (I'm in New York and 9/11 woke me up!), the bottom line is that I realize how fortunate I was to have been born here, rather than in so many other suffering parts of the world. Life here isn't perfect, never will be, but I'm relatively safe and have the opportunity to do pretty much anything I want. Many places aren't like that, and especially if you're female.
And your volunteering sounds like a wonderful experience. That's also something I've learned in AA. I'm very fortunate and remember to make a point of saying so. I have no legal issues, no health issues, joined because drinking had become a problem for me and I needed help with dealing with it. And I've gotten so much more back. They always say that helping others often helps you even more, and I've found that to be very true. 
My grandmother moved to a retirement community when she was in her mid 80s, got very involved with numerous volunteer opportunities there. She was voted "volunteer of the year" at age 97, so I have her as an example. She went through some rough times in her life, lost her mother at 13 and was widowed young, but she was always optimistic, so I have no excuses. 
for not having been here to kick it earlier. Central European time and all. 
I'll come back later today and give it another big
P.S. I also :heart: Cha!
Yeah, he's awesome. I've only met Cha here at DU, but I like his friendliness and always feel uplifted when we interact. A lot of folks at DU are like that. You are too! If you don't mind my asking, where in Central Europe are you. You don't have to say specifically if you don't want. But I've been to Europe a few times and it's nice to know. I'm in the southwestern part of the United States. I love it here.
I am glad to be able to help, even this little bit.
I am recovering well, and thank you for asking!
I was welcomed when I first posted, and I never forgot it...I even saved the thread!
Glad you're recovering well. 
I try to do my small part to make the world a brighter place than a car with one headlight. Goodness knows we need all the help we can get.
Thanks for your post.
I'm one of those who can't read about this either.
I like your avatar! Have a good weekend.
Yes, maybe the numbers are too low! I'm less concerned about the numbers though, than in giving the United Nations report more exposure so that we can all see it, read it, argue about it, and hopefully discuss ways too reduce those numbers. Hope you're enjoying a good weekend.
I hope you're enjoying a good weekend.
We will not sit down...We will not shut up!
(WNN) New York, New York, UNITED STATES, AMERICAS: Breaking the barrier between just viewing a film and actually creating humanitarian action surrounding human rights issues for girls, CNN FILMS has launched a new on-air platform to live stream the new film “Girl Rising” in hopes that global change for the world of girls and women can come as quickly as possible in a revolution that can ignite one community and ‘one house at a time’.
snip
“A girl is not defined by what society sees. A girl is defined by what a girl sees inside herself,” echoes the 10X10 mission, which is co-sponsored by Intel, The Documentary Group, and Vulcan Productions along with the work of CNN Films.
Chronicling the stories of girls around the globe who, given a fair chance to further their education and their life, will do so, the hope is that this documentary film can reach the widest audience possible. Working with NGOs – Non-Governmental agencies like World Vision, UNICEF, A New Day Cambodia and numerous others, “Girl Rising” shows how girls can make lasting changes in their personal life, local communities and beyond. “Girl Rising” also has a star-studded U.S. Hollywood cast of narrators for the feature-length documentary, including award-winning actor-narrators Salma Hayek, Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep, among others.
“If to see it is to know it, this film delivers hope; reasonable, measurable, tangible hope that the world can be healed and helped to a better future,” said Meryl Streep after the premiere release of the film was made last March.
http://womennewsnetwork.net/2013/06/17/cnn-live-streams-girl-rising/
Violence against our girls breaks my heart. It needs to stop!
And yes, it deserves far more attention!
