The Unicef stated that child abuse is common within families and schools. Children accept it as a normal form of discipline enforced by parents and teachers.[1] Most children rate their families as a safe environment, stable and protective, but social norms in relation to children are generally neither based on their rights or child-centered.[2] Thus such violence often goes unreported. About two third of children have seen other children being physically abused, and 34% of them have been victims of bullying.[3] Moreover, nearly 40% of girls in urban areas have felt bullied and harassed as much as twice more than boys while the percentage of both genders that felt bullied or harassed in rural areas are almost the same (41% and 39%).[4]

 

In 2012, The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) highlighted the “generally weak capacity of the State party to effectively implement laws relating to children”.[5] But 10 years later, thanks to a good collaboration between international and local NGO as well as Albanians institutions, progress has been made for building a legal framework, policies and structures for a better protection of children in Albania, such as the launch of Juvenile Justice Reform, Social Care Reform, the new law on the child rights protection of the child, 18/20179 and the National Agenda for Children’s Rights 2017-2020.

Albania has been declared as having the fundamental components of an effective legal framework to combat sexual violence against children by The Economist Intelligence Unit in 2018. However, the situation regarding child abuse is still stagnating at a critical level, especially in particular region such as Kruja.

 

In a survey conducted by Save The Children in all Albania, almost 90% of the interviewed kids think that policymakers should take into consideration the opinions of children on matters that concern them. But over two third of these children stated that they have had little or no opportunity to be heard by policymakers. The ability that children and youth have to impose a change in their quality of life and experiences, and influence the services they use, is pretty limited. And that’s where Sava comes in.

 

[1] UNICEF. 2015. Analyse de Situation des Enfants en Albanie

[2] Byrne K. Analysis of Policies and Reforms Affecting Children in Albania (2014) p. 108 (Analyses des politiques et réformes affectant les enfants en Albanie)

[3] Save the Children Albania, in cooperation with the Child Led Group “Voice 16+…”. Young Voices Albania, 2017

[4] Ibid

[5] Comité des Droits de l’Enfant Observations Finales sur les deuxième, troisième et quatrième rapports périodiques de l’Albanie(2012) p. 3. (ci-après Observations Finales).

 

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