NCJ Number
246686
Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 38 Issue: 2 Dated: February 2014 Pages: 170-179
Date Published
February 2014
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This study, which was commissioned by Save the Children, identified the factors that are preventing Afghan schools in 3 of the country's 34 Provinces from being safe for children, particularly girls.
Abstract
The study found that it is common for students, teachers, and schools in these three Provinces to receive threats or to be violently attacked. Most threats and attacks were attributed to either armed criminal groups or armed opposition groups. The dominant perception of respondents was that threats and attacks by armed opposition groups were ideologically motivated. These groups were reported to target modern and girls' education, especially where girls were being taught by male teachers. Children reported being scared walking to school and being on school premises, and some parents kept their children at home out of fear for their safety. Teachers were also afraid, with many quitting teaching. Save the Children in Afghanistan is exploring ways to prevent or mitigate attacks on students and teachers involved in schooling. The organization's approach focuses on the "shura" (committee that consists of parents, teachers, community leaders, and students, who discuss how to improve and maintain school security. Shura address the development of a code of conduct, the construction of physical protections such as boundary walls, and practice in disaster risk-reduction initiatives. Save the children anticipates that research will highlight communities' effective strategies to prevent threats and attacks on the individuals and facilities involved in schooling. This study was conducted in May and June of 2013 by a team of 18 international and local researchers, who interviewed 52 teachers and 25 principals and conducted 50 focus groups with students and 26 focus groups with community residents. 1 table