International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression 2025

Every year, millions of children are victims of violence. In 2025, La Chaîne de l'Espoir will continue its action in Togo, Nepal and India to offer protection and access to healthcare to the children most vulnerable to violence.

Togolese pupils raise awareness of non-violence with La Chaîne de l'Espoir as part of the "Ma santé, mon école" program.

June 4, 2025 marks the 43rd International Day of Innocent Child Victims of Aggression. This date is an opportunity to reflect on the difficult reality still faced by many children around the world.

The latest available data from the United Nations, published in 2024, reveal that between 300 and 400 million children worldwide are victims of emotional abuse, physical violence or sexual aggression. This alarming reality underlines the urgent need to step up action to protect children, prevent abuse and guarantee their right to a safe, nurturing environment.

Key figures for the Day of Innocent Child Victims of Aggression

Every year, millions of children around the world suffer violence that has a lasting impact on their lives. Figures from the UN’s June 2023 report, supported by data from UNICEF and Save the Children, reveal the alarming scale of violence suffered by children around the world:

Every four minutes, violence ends the life of a child somewhere in the world,
32,990 serious violations of children’s rights were recorded in 2023, affecting 22,557 children, including 11,649 children killed or maimed and 4,356 abducted,
8,655 children were recruited or used by armed groups in conflict zones,
1,470 children were victims of sexual violence in war zones,
Every year, 400 million children under the age of 5 around the world grow up in an environment marked by physical or psychological violence,
473 million children currently live in conflict zones, i.e. almost 1 in 5 worldwide,
370 million girls have experienced sexual violence before the age of 18. Including non-physical forms of violence, this figure rises to 650 million,

Between 240 and 310 million boys were also sexually abused as children.

La Chaîne de l’Espoir’s actions to protect child victims of violence

Chaîne de l’Espoir is actively involved in promoting menstrual health, particularly through its “Ma santé, mon école” program in Togo. Launched in 2019 and currently in its second phase, this project aims to improve health and education conditions in several schools in Lomé.

Our actions in Togo includeSexual and reproductive health education is organized around awareness-raising sessions designed to inform pupils, especially girls, about how to manage menstrual hygiene. In the long term, this helps to reduce absenteeism from school due to menstruation. Training is also provided for teachers to enable them to better support pupils on menstrual health issues and combat persistent prejudice.

In Nepal, the association supports more than 1,500 children living on the streets or from very precarious families every year, through comprehensive support combining care, schooling, emergency shelter and family reunification. These are all essential levers to protect them from abuse.

In India, thanks to our partnership with Taabar, a local organization dedicated to protecting vulnerable children, over 5,000 children living in slums benefit from access to healthcare. Taabar also cares for over 2,000 children who are victims of forced labor, abuse or exploitation. Taabar provides essential support, including school reintegration, health care and abuse prevention programs.

In India, La Chaîne de l'Espoir and its partner Taabar offer care, protection and education to thousands of vulnerable children living in slums.

Together, these projects represent a strong commitment to preventing violence, supporting victims and ensuring a safer environment for every child.

Although progress has been made, much remains to be done. Ongoing actions are important, but it is crucial to keep moving forward to guarantee a safe environment for every child. The commitment of all remains essential to protect children and offer them a better future.

To find out more about the initiatives and actions carried out on the Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression, visit our dedicated page: https: //www.chainedelespoir.org/actualites/calendrier-solidaire/journee-internationale-des-enfants-victimes-innocentes-de-lagression/