Institutional Victimization

Abstract

The home is the most dangerous place for children everywhere for it is in the home that most of the harm inflicted upon them takes place. However, no less dangerous are the schools, orphanages, correctional institutions, or club rooms in which almost all of the world’s children find themselves each day, but from which they are rarely able to escape. “Institutional victimization” consists of a host of harmful acts (usually by caregivers) to which children are subjected in institutional settings. Data on the extent and forms of child victimization occurring in institutions across the globe are presented. Victimization may involve direct abuse, such as beatings or emotionally trauma. But indirect victimization, such as neglect by care givers or abusive or inadequate institutional programs or facilities, is also pervasive in institutions around the world. The problem of abuse in schools, orphanages, and residential care is described in depth, and graphic examples of some of the more pervasive and flagrant instances of institutional abuse are highlighted. Programs such as counseling to help people who have been abused by teachers, care givers, or others are described. Diverse efforts to stop the abuse of children in institutional settings are discussed, as are laws designed to protect children in institutional settings. The obstacles to the prevention of institutional abuse are discussed and the prospects for worldwide reform are assessed.