Findings
Depriving children of liberty means depriving them of their childhood. This Study aims to help ensure that no child is left behind, and in particular, that no child is left behind bars.
The UN Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty is a comprehensive Study led by Manfred Nowak, a large team of experts from all over the world, and 274 children who were consulted and interviewed.
The findings of the Study were published in 2019 and concern six thematic areas in which children live deprived of liberty and four cross-cutting areas. According to the research, more than 7 million children per year lose their freedom worldwide – in the justice administration system, migration detention centers, and institutions like orphanages and asylums, never able to see their parents again. Other children are born or raised in prison by their detained parents, or charged with terrorism and detained on national security grounds or for are used in the armed conflicts.
Additionally to the thematic areas of deprivation of liberty, the Global Study presents four cross-cutting dimensions, related to each of them – gender, health, disabilities and participation.