Child violence and abuse, child safety and liberation, lack of political will: A painful reality

Child violence and abuse, child safety and liberation, lack of political will: A painful reality

Norless Zibele Nodangala

Issue: Vol. 7 No.6 2026 Article 18 pp. 1677 – 1688
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20267618Published online 23rd July 2026

35 Downloads

DOWNLOAD PDF

ABSTRACT

This study aims to address the rampant violence against children globally, highlighting the tragic consequences of abduction, abuse, and murder. The paper underscores the urgency for stronger political will and enhanced frameworks to protect children, advocating for their rights to live safely and flourish. The study adopted a doctrinal methodology, drawing on esteemed scholarly work and examining both local and international texts. This comprehensive investigation explored the catastrophic suppression of young voices and the various forms of violence inflicted upon them. The findings revealed a critical lack of political will that contributes to an unsafe environment for children, further embedding social injustices and preventing peaceful living conditions for families. The study assessed the profound impact of these violent acts on children’s futures and the failure of existing frameworks designed to ensure their safety. Based on the findings, the study recommends that states strengthen their protective processes for children, emphasizing the need for political commitment to enforce and enhance these frameworks. The study advocates prioritizing children’s liberation as a crucial step toward alleviating their suffering. This study adds a vital voice to the discourse on violence against children, contributing to the scholarship by highlighting the necessity for increased political will and robust protective mechanisms, thereby fostering an environment where children can live free from harm.

Keywords: Child Violence, Abuse, Liberation, Political Will, Killings, Social, Peaceful.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bähr, Celia, and Laura K Taylor. “Recognizing the Diverse and Complex Nature of Violence in Childhood,” 2021.

Barter, Christine. “Children and Young People Who Harm Others.” Child Abuse Review 22, no. 4 (2013): 227–31.

Bequele, Assefa. “Governance and Child Well-Being: Evidence and Lessons from Africa.” In Every Right for Every Child, 43–64. Routledge India, 2020.

Bhatia, Amiya, Camilla Fabbri, Ilan Cerna-Turoff, Ellen Turner, Michelle Lokot, Ajwang Warria, Sumnima Tuladhar, Clare Tanton, Louise Knight, and Shelley Lees. “Violence against Children during the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Bulletin of the World Health Organization 99, no. 10 (2021): 730.

Detrick, Sharon, Gilles Abel, Maartje Berger, Aurore Delon, and Rosie Meek. Violence against Children in Conflict with the Law. A Study on Indicators and Data Collection in Belgium, England and Wales, France and the Netherlands. Defence for Children International, 2008.

Edwards, Damyan. “Childhood Sexual Abuse and Brain Development: A Discussion of Associated Structural Changes and Negative Psychological Outcomes.” Child Abuse Review 27, no. 3 (2018): 198–208.

Eisler, Riane. “Protecting Children: From Rhetoric to Global Action.” Interdisciplinary Journal of Partnership Studies 5, no. 1 (2018): 7.

Ferrara, Pietro, Giulia Franceschini, Giovanni Corsello, Julije Mestrovic, Ida Giardino, Mehmet Vural, Tudor Lucian Pop, Leyla Namazova-Baranova, Eli Somekh, and Flavia Indrio. “Children Witnessing Domestic and Family Violence: A Widespread Occurrence during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic.” The Journal of Pediatrics 235 (2021): 305.

Gil, David G. “Violence against Children.” Cambridge, Mass, 1970.

Graner, Elvira. “Governing Childhood in India: The uphill battle to Abolish Child Marriage,” 2019.

Harris, William W, Alicia F Lieberman, and Steven Marans. “In the Best Interests of Society.” Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 48, no. 3‐4 (2007): 392–411.

Hillis, Susan D, James A Mercy, and Janet R Saul. “The Enduring Impact of Violence against Children.” Psychology, Health & Medicine 22, no. 4 (2017): 393–405.

Hillis, Susan, James Mercy, Adaugo Amobi, and Howard Kress. “Global Prevalence of Past-Year Violence against Children: A Systematic Review and Minimum Estimates.” Pediatrics 137, no. 3 (2016): e20154079.

Keddell, Emily. “Recognising the Embedded Child in Child Protection: Children’s Participation, Inequalities and Cultural Capital.” Children and Youth Services Review 147 (2023): 106815.

Landgren, Karin. “The Protective Environment: Development Support for Child Protection.” Human Rights Quarterly 27, no. 1 (2005): 214–48.

Lwandiko, Mboza. “Rise of Children Violence and Sexual Abuse: A Need to Raise Voices Higher.” Available at SSRN 4635567, 2023.

Malik Ema, D. R. Malik, and W. A. Malik. “Promulgate Strong Legal Framework For Child Protection Against Offences Of Torturing, Abusing, Or Killing.” International Journal 4, no. 2 (2021): 9.

Miller, Joshua L. “Societal Neglect and Violence towards Children: What Do These Phenomena Tell Us about Ourselves?” Smith College Studies in Social Work 66, no. 2 (1996): 197–211.

Moffitt, Terrie E. “Childhood Exposure to Violence and Lifelong Health: Clinical Intervention Science and Stress-Biology Research Join Forces.” Development and Psychopathology 25, no. 4pt2 (2013): 1619–34.

Moses, Motseki Morero. “An Exploration of Corruption and Human Trafficking: The South African Case.” Cogent Social Sciences 8, no. 1 (2022): 2116808.

Mulinge, Munyae M. “Implementing the 1989 United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Overlooked Socioeconomic and Political Dilemmas.” Child Abuse & Neglect 26, no. 11 (2002): 1117–30.

Naamat, Arian Tatar, and Nasraddin Ebrahem Mohammad. “The Personality of Kurdish Poet Ahmad Nalbend (A Psychological-Analytical Study).” Civil Officium: Journal of Empirical Studies on Social Science 5, no. 1 (2025): 87–106.

Ngo, Ngoan. “Child Sexual Abuse Is Violence against the Human Dignity of Children.” Int J Res 10, no. 15 (2021): 97–108.

Pinheiro, Paulo Sérgio. “Violence against Children.” Geneva: ATAR Roto Presse SA, 2006, 1–6.

Polakow, Valerie. The Public Assault on America’s Children: Poverty, Violence, and Juvenile Injustice. Vol. 5. Teachers College Press, 2000.

Reading, Richard, Susan Bissell, Jeffrey Goldhagen, Judith Harwin, Judith Masson, Sian Moynihan, Nigel Parton, Marta Santos Pais, June Thoburn, and Elspeth Webb. “Promotion of Children’s Rights and Prevention of Child Maltreatment.” The Lancet 373, no. 9660 (2009): 332–43.

Rinker, Katelyn. “Prevention of Psychological Abuse in Paediatric Populations.” Journal of Victimology and Victim Justice 2, no. 2 (2019): 236–40.

Shawar, Yusra Ribhi, and Jeremy Shiffman. “A Global Priority: Addressing Violence against Children.” Bulletin of the World Health Organization 99, no. 6 (2021): 414.

Slone, Michelle, and Tomer Shechner. “Adolescents Exposed to 7 Years of Political Violence: Differential Relations between Exposure and Its Impact for Jewish and Arab Israelis.” Child Indicators Research 4, no. 3 (2011): 529–45.

Stoltenborgh, Marije, Marian J Bakermans‐Kranenburg, Lenneke R A Alink, and Marinus H Van Ijzendoorn. “The Prevalence of Child Maltreatment across the Globe: Review of a Series of Meta‐analyses.” Child Abuse Review 24, no. 1 (2015): 37–50.

Todres, Jonathan. “Violence, Exploitation, and the Rights of the Child.” In International Human Rights of Children, 215–37. Singapore: Springer, 2019.

Umejiaku, Nneka Obiamaka. “Legal Framework On Recognition, Promotion And Protection On The Rights Of The Child: An Appraisal.” African Journal of Constitutional and Administrative Law 4 (2020).

UN General Assembly. Convention on the Rights of the Child, United Nations, Treaty Series 1577, no. 3 § (1989).

UNICEF. “Protecting Children from Violence in the Time of COVID-19,” 2020.

“Violence against Children.” Accessed November 25, 2025. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/violence-against-children.

ABOUT AUTHOR(S)

Norless Zibele Nodangala (LLM) (C. Laude) (PhD Candidate) is currently a Public Law Lecturer, Chairperson: Teaching and Learning: School of Law, Secretary: Advisory Board: Faculty of Law, Humanities, and Social Sciences at the Walter Sisulu University, South Africa. He is a legal professional based in South Africa, currently pursuing a PhD in Law at the University of the Free State, having earned both my Master of Laws (LLM) and Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degrees at Walter Sisulu University. In addition to his academic pursuits, he has gained practical experience in the hospitality and financial sectors. His research interests focus on human rights and social justice, with a particular emphasis on the Marikana tragedy and the role of commissions of inquiry in socio-economic transformation.

TO CITE ARTICLE

Nodangala, Norless Zibele. “Child Violence and Abuse, Child Safety and Liberation, Lack of Political Will: A Painful Reality.” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 7, no.5 (2026): 1340- 1353 https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20267418