Ending Violence Against Children

Just as the drivers of violence against children are varied and complex, achieving meaningful results requires multi-sectoral solutions. This means that in addition to ensuring robust laws and policies and adequate services, World Vision also considers the root causes of violence. In our work to reduce child marriage, World Vision aspires towards societies where (1) girls are able to decide if, when, and whom to marry, and (2) a protective and enabling environment exists for communities to reject child marriage. 

To achieve these objectives, World Vision applies evidence-based interventions across five pillars to address barriers to this reality — increasing access to quality education for girls; promoting life skills, agency, and participation for adolescent boys and girls; supporting households in increasing livelihoods and resilience; addressing harmful social norms and behaviors amongst caregivers and communities; and strengthening child protection systems to prevent and respond to child marriage.  

Sustainable improvement of protective environments for children requires a lasting contribution to the systems and structures designed to protect them. Wherever possible, World Vision works in partnership with government and formal stakeholders to support lasting change within these structures. 

Armenia: CLASS
Over seven years, the USAID-funded Community Level Assistance to Social Services (CLASS) project — implemented by World Vision and the Child Development Foundation — strengthened the country’s social protection system through effective community-based social work, improving the lives of the most vulnerable children and their families across 10 regions (60 communities) and in Yerevan. The project institutionalized community-based social workers (CSWs) within local government and enhanced communities’ capacity to identify and address social issues. By the project’s end, 87% of communities employed CSWs, and 27 legislative amendments were submitted to regulate community social services. In total, 199,626 vulnerable individuals benefited from USG-supported social services. 

The project contributed to legislative changes related to child protection, with successful advocacy leading to the establishment of a government-mandated CSW position at the local level. Additionally, in collaboration with the Armenian Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and academic partners, World Vision helped develop training and certification curricula for CSWs and an online training program to increase the capacities of social workers in remote areas of the country. A total of 199 CSWs successfully completed the specialized educational course.  Initiated by the project and now mandated and largely funded by the Armenian government,  CSWs are recognized as key actors in the early identification and prevention of violence and abuse, and are primary points of referral to critical services for vulnerable children.  

As key influencers of attitudes and norms in their communities, faith leaders are essential partners in sustainably advancing the prevention of violence against children. However, they are not automatically equipped to champion the causes of the most vulnerable in their communities. We work directly with faith leaders from diverse religious backgrounds, equipping them with development-appropriate concepts that empower them to transform their thinking and inspire their communities to better support the most vulnerable.  

We work with faith leaders through Channels of Hope for Child Protection (CoH-CP), World Vision’s signature model for motivating faith leaders and their communities to address abuse, neglect, exploitation, and other harmful practices. As of 2023, World Vision has partnered with 500,000 faith leaders, including Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, and Muslims, across 40 countries through the Channels of Hope program, working together to change attitudes and norms in communities and address child vulnerabilities. 

Research by Queen Margaret University across three countries with different religious environments found that faith leaders engaged in World Vision programming were motivated to improve child well-being. The study observed significant positive shifts in attitudes about child marriage, corporal punishment, and the willingness to report child abuse.  For example, in Senegal, the Channels of Hope for Child Protection program led to a 31% increase (2017-2019) in faith leaders and their spouses opposing the idea of marrying off their daughter young as a solution to preventing pregnancy before marriage. 

India: Child Protection Program
In our Child Protection Program in India, 818 Muslim, Hindu, and Christian faith leaders were trained in CoH-CP. The trained faith leaders have interpreted their respective scriptures to support protecting children from violence and exploitation. As a result, the Faith In Action – Call for Prayer and Action initiative was organized in association with Muslim faith leaders, covering 240 mosques (44,720 people), and the Save Our Girls campaign was organized in association with Hindu faith leaders, covering 10 Hindu temples (1,881 people).  CoH-CP has mobilized faith communities to protect children from forced marriage as noted by a Muslim faith leader:

“Before I came into contact with World Vision, we did not know how early marriage can affect girls negatively. [....] But World Vision taught us for the first time about the consequences of child marriage for children and how it often ends in child sex trafficking. So now, [....], we declared that we will no longer solemnize marriages if girls are below 18 years. We have also passed a resolution in our association that we will report all crimes against children immediately to concerned authorities without fear or favor [...].