The work of the Children’s Social Council, which is overseen by Russia’s Federal Ombudsman for Children’s Rights, continues. In preparation for the council’s next session, an independent survey on “Children Against Abuse” was run by the child members of the council in their own schools and institutions.

However, the administrative staff in one of Moscow’s residential care homes chose not to support the initiative: the results of the survey which the children organized were not presented for further discussion. Unfortunately, the “voice” of those children, who took part in the survey at this institution, will not be heard at the Children’s Social Council.

The project coordinator for “Listening to Children”, E. G. Koblik, believes that the whole point of creating, with the participation of children from all sorts of academic institutes, an ombudsman service in defence of children’s rights is so that children can know where to turn for help. The main responsibility of an institution’s ombudsman for children’s rights is to ensure that children’s initiatives are supported, that their interests protected and their rights defended, regardless of the position which the institution’s administrative staff takes. As both international and internal experience in developing an Ombudsman’s Institute show, it is far more successful and effective if the rights of children are protected in a manner which is in no way tokenistic, in an atmosphere which breeds honesty and trust amongst adults towards children and their opinions.

Children who are currently participating in the “Listening to Children” project (run by the charitable organization “Women and Children First”) and also members of the Children’s Social Council have already shared the preliminary results of their surveys with us:

82% of young school children (out of the 67 who were questioned) say that their teachers treat them with respect. However 7% of these children noted that they had experienced the disrespectful attitude of a teacher (often one who shouted, or called them names etc.).

58% of young school children also said that, sometimes, they themselves were guilty of not restraining their emotions from other children (they have got into fights, shouted at each other, called each other names etc.).

73% of these younger children who took part in the survey said they knew where to turn to for help in cases of rights violations (for instance by using “Trust-post” or by consulting the children’s ombudsman working in their institution).

72.5% of children in their mid-late teens (out of the 91 who were questioned) confirmed that they had received information not only about their rights and responsibilities through the school, but also information about where to turn to for assistance on how to protect their rights.

9.2% of these children say that they have experienced cases of violence, enacted by adults, as well as instances in which they have had to seek the advice, help and support of a peer, relative or psychologist etc. Correspondingly, 76% of those who took part denied having experience of these kinds of situations in their lives.

67% of the teenagers felt that particular behaviour demonstrated by adults, such as public criticism, overt unfriendliness and disrespectful attitudes, is to be considered as psychologically damaging for a child.

94% of these children are aware of the support they can receive if an infringement is made on their rights. What appeared to interest the younger children, just as much as the older ones was how child abuse could be prevented. In answer to the question:

“What do you think needs to be done to ensure that children do not become victims of abuse?”, to which the children answered in the following way.

“Children need to learn their rights and to know them better”.

“To be more attentive to other children”.

“To do whatever necessary to ensure that adults never offend children, but love and care for them”.

“Children need to be cared for an paid attention to”.

“To increase the punishment for child abuse”.

“To observe children’s rights”

On the whole, children noted that the theme of rights protection was of particular interest to their peers, the majority of whom feel that their rights need to be protected and also willing to take special sessions in rights education.

The results of the children’s independent survey will be discussed in the Children’s Social Council’s next meeting, where the children will decide what needs to be done and how, in order to assist children in the protection of their rights and interests.