Forum Brasileiro de Seguranca Pública Know Violence in Childhood Workshop on Prevention of Violence against Children in Latin America Rio de Janeiro, Brazil July 28-29, 2015
PREVENTING HOMICIDES, LIFE CASUALTIES, HARM IN CHILDREN FROM COMMUNITY VIOLENCE A LOOK INTO SOME PROMISING INITIATIVES IN COSTA RICA Milena Grillo R.
Some Context Tasa 22.0 20.0 Costa Rica. Tasa de homicidio doloso (100 mil habitantes). 1980-2013 20.3 20.7 20.1 18.0 Tasa Hombres Mujeres 17.5 16.0 15.7 14.0 12.6 15.2 12.0 10.0 8.0 6.0 6.8 7.6 6.4 4.8 4.3 4.8 9.1 5.4 11.1 11.1 11.4 11.2 10.3 8.8 8.7 4.0 2.0 2.7 1.8 1.9 1.1 1,6 2.8 2.7 2.2 1.5 0.0 Fuente: Poder Judicial. Departamento de Planificación, Sección de Estadística. Source: CR: Judicial System 2011. Department of Planning. Statistics Section.
Introducing age and gender perspectives Homicidios 5-29 años, Costa Rica 2012 De 25 a 29 años De 20 a 24 años De 18 a 19 años De 15 a 17 años De 10 a 14 años De 5 a 9 años Menos de cinco años Homicidios 5-29 años - Costa Rica 2013 De 25 a 29 años De 18 a 19 años De 10 a 14 años Menos de cinco años Total 0 100 200 300 400 500 Columna3 Sexo Columna2 0 20 40 60 80 Homicidios 5-29 años - Costa Rica 2014 Series3 Series2 Series1 De 25 a 29 años De 20 a 24 años De 18 a 19 años De 15 a 17 años De 10 a 14 años De 5 a 9 años Menos de cinco años 0 20 40 60 80 100 Series3 Series2 Series1 Poder Judicial Oficina Investigación Judicial Sección de Estadística, Depto. de Planificación
Rethinking child exposure to fatalities and harm by CV, in Costa Rica A national panorama in line with the findings from the two Workshop reports, where child homicides, life casualties, and harm by CV appear as a constant along time, associated to: the inability of child caretakers to handle environmental stress in social contexts marked by violence, increasing complexity and uncertainty; the loss of legitimacy by the State amongst families and communities perceived as inefficient and/or corrupt part of the problem
The synergetic interaction of core factors associated to marginalized boys and girls exposure to CV: a history of violence in the circle of trust/responsibility, non adequately treated or intervened, the unemployment/social failure causing despair in the male youngsters, the availability of arms, the parent-child dominion/property relations. The ominous presence of various forms of drug-related organized crime, and: the adolescent boy perception of the pandilla as a place to be, the hidden in plain sight commercial sexual exploitation of adolescent girls linked to micro drug trafficking.
All of the above exacerbated by the message reflected, created and/or reinforced through all types of media products, where violence is presented as a rightful means for social preservation, and gender-violence is portrayed as personally and socially rewarding.
The smaller share of female victims among the total number of homicides in the Americas does not, however, equate to a lower female homicide rate there in comparison to other regions. ( ) the Americas have a high female homicide victim rate. It is the exceptional number of homicides affecting males in the Americas that makes the share of female homicides particularly low in that region. (UNODOC. 2011 Global Study on Homicide: Trends, Contexts, Data)
A mother reading of the issue
Promising ongoing initiatives Three legal amendments on the making with potential positive results in the short term (1 generation away) 1) Correction of failed child-at-risk protection practices, legal and administrative: law amendment project to increase civil responsibility for public officers not complying with due protection. Most child victims of CV presented a history of previous case-reporting to the protection system, without triggering life-protection institutional measures and actions on their part. 2) Providing for an aggravation cause under the Law against Organized Crime, for groups accused of the commission of a crime involving the participation of a person under the age of 18th. Setting the blame and guilt where it belongs
3) Non imprisonment, alternative sanctions for women charged for minor drug trafficking into jail centers. Poor women, head of families, forced to bring drugs to their male partners in jail, end up incarcerated themselves, leaving their children alone, exposed to pressure by local gang members, to join their activities
Three policy actions with potential positive results for the medium term (2 generations away) 1) Focalized interventions and affirmative actions directed to the empowerment of adolescents -female and male- and young women and men To combat vulnerability of women of all ages and their children, to GV and CV with a fatal result or an incapacitating effect (physically, emotionally, socially, productivity wise), linked to discrimination faced in terms of access to credit, social relations/networks, education and health services, employment, and meaningful recognition to their condition as bearers of human rights. Project B.A.1_ INAMU_SICA et al: Community-base multi-stakeholder intervention in 10 high-risk territories
2) Convergence of institutional efforts and resources into a sustained integral GV and CV affecting women and their families. To provide for access to justice, emergency shelters, health support and temporary/permanent living accommodations. LOCAL COMMITTEES FOR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION AND FOLLOW-UP ON HIGH RISK CASES OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN (CLAIS)
3) Convergence of institutional efforts and resources for the development and operation of 7 community-based youth centers focused on the prevention of violence and the fostering of social inclusion. Operating in highly conflicted contexts and resorting to arts, sports and technology to engage youngsters ages 13-19, and their significant ones, in information-training and action opportunities promoting personal growth and social progress while addressing self-care and peer-to-peer care from violence CIVIC CENTERS FOR PEACE: THE PREVENTION OF VIOLENCE AND THE FOSTERING OF SOCIAL INCLUSION AS A RIGHT AND A DUTY THAT BEGINS WITH THE THE STATE. CREATED BY LAW AND DEVELOPED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE, VICEMINISTER OF PEACE, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE, THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND CIVIL SOCIETY IN THE PARTICIPATING COMMUNITIES. SEED FUNDING BY IDB.
The underlying premise The short, the medium, and the long terms they all begin on the same day. Jorge Manuel Dengo, s.f. Milena Grillo R. milena@paniamor.org http://paniamordigital.org