This case study describes the work of civil society organisations to introduce a law in Peru to prohibit the use of physical and psychological violence towards children. It offers valuable lessons for others aiming to inform policy change through children advocacy.

Ending the use of physical and emotional violence against children and adolescents in Peru

A case study on the advocacy efforts of INFANT and ONNAS

Miriam Broeks, Pedro Sanjurjo, Emma Leenders

ResearchPublished May 10, 2021

Cover: Ending the use of physical and emotional violence against children and adolescents in Peru
Download PDF
Additional Downloads

Includes Case Study Summary

This case study analyses the advocacy efforts of two civil society organisations, INFANT and ONNAS, to introduce a law to end the use of physical and emotional violence against children and adolescents in Peru. It highlights the involvement of children and adolescents in the work of INFANT and ONNAS. Children's involvement in the advocacy campaigns helped raise the profile of the issue in the media and in society more widely. The case study examines factors that contributed to the success of their advocacy efforts. The campaign's focus on positive parenting strategies instead of punitive parenting approaches, and collaboration with politicians, journalists and artists, enabled their efforts. The case study also identifies barriers faced and the wider context in which their work took place. Finally, it considers the work that has been done by INFANT, ONNAS and other actors to support the effective implementation of the law.

Key Findings

Young protagonists with innovative ideas helped maximise the impact of the work of INFANT and ONNAS

  • Unique to the work of INFANT and ONNAS was the involvement of children and adolescents throughout the entire process: this became a movement led and implemented by children themselves, serving as a prime example of children’s leadership in changing matters that directly affect them. These child protagonists gave the campaign a unique appeal among politicians and the general public.

Having a clear goal, a flexible approach and forming key alliances facilitated the work of INFANT and ONNAS

  • The organisations had a clear goal and focused on empowering parents and the general public with alternative ways to nurture children and adolescents. They also adapted their strategy based on learning on the ground and were able to complement each other: INFANT provided experience, ONNAS provided creativity and legitimacy (i.e. children advocating for their own rights). Finally, they fostered key alliances with political actors and public figures and received financial and non-financial support from their allies.

Topics

Document Details

  • Copyright: The Bernard van Leer Foundation
  • Publisher: RAND Corporation
  • Availability: Web-Only
  • Year: 2021
  • Pages: 32
  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.7249/RRA245-6
  • Document Number: RR-A245-6

Citation

RAND Style Manual
Broeks, Miriam, Pedro Sanjurjo, and Emma Leenders, Ending the use of physical and emotional violence against children and adolescents in Peru: A case study on the advocacy efforts of INFANT and ONNAS, RAND Corporation, RR-A245-6, 2021. As of October 12, 2024: https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA245-6.html
Chicago Manual of Style
Broeks, Miriam, Pedro Sanjurjo, and Emma Leenders, Ending the use of physical and emotional violence against children and adolescents in Peru: A case study on the advocacy efforts of INFANT and ONNAS. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2021. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA245-6.html.
BibTeX RIS

Research conducted by

The research described in this report was prepared for the Bernard van Leer Foundation and conducted by RAND Europe.

This publication is part of the RAND research report series. Research reports present research findings and objective analysis that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors. All RAND research reports undergo rigorous peer review to ensure high standards for research quality and objectivity.

This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited; linking directly to this product page is encouraged. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial purposes. For information on reprint and reuse permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions.

RAND is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND's publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors.