Parenting support: A crucial tool to #ENDviolence

PRETORIA, 26 November 2024 – “More than 3 children and 10 women were murdered daily in South Africa between July and September 2024, according to the latest South African Police Service (SAPS) crime statistics. Another 490 children were victims of attempted murder, marking a worrying increase of 35.7% since the same quarter of the previous year. 

 The statistics – launched on Monday, November 25th at the start of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children – yet again underscore the concerning scale of violence against children and women in South Africa. 

 The dire situation that children face is further illustrated by the recently released Stats SA Child Series Volume III. The study finds that 58 children are sexually abused in South Africa every day – a figure that equates to 40% of the total reported sexual offences in the country committed against children.   

 The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) has also, on the 18th of November, released the First South African National Gender-Based Violence Study, which finds that 33.1% of all women in South Africa aged 18 years and older have experienced physical violence in their lifetime. The study suggests that childhood physical [30.4%], sexual [56.2%] and/or emotional abuse [40.1%] before age 15, are factors associated with lifetime physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence victimisation among women.  

 UNICEF has been reacting publicly to the quarterly crime statistics and the disturbing levels of violence that children and women face in South Africa. 

 We speak out as a United Nations agency with a child rights advocacy mandate, and we will keep doing so because such high levels of violence should never be accepted as a norm in society.    

 The 16 Days of Activism is an annual moment where, despite the horrific violence that daily occurs, our voices become louder together, our resolve draws strength from one-another and our actions give hope to the idea that we can end violence in our lifetime. 

 So often as individuals we feel powerless to stop the scourge of violence that does not only stalk our streets at night but exists in our homes, bedrooms and online through our phones and devices. In the face of this, it is tempting to feel hopeless or that nothing can be done.

 Thembile, a single father of two boys who lives in Cape Town, felt the same. ‘I used to be a very angry and violent person. I was very abusive […] when my boys didn’t listen, I’d take off my belt and spank them’.

But, after being introduced to the idea by a friend, Thembile attended a parenting support programme at The Parent Centre. ‘Ever since I’ve started attending the sessions […], I’ve changed a lot […] I’m now able to think before I act’, he says. 

 Parenting support programmes and resources guide caregivers and equip them with the tools to give their child the best support throughout their child’s development. The value of parenting support is evident in how relationships are strengthened at home and in how children develop holistically – from their nutritional needs to their mental health and their cognitive and emotional developmental. 

 The key benefits of parenting support include: 

• Improved parenting practices: Positive parenting techniques, play-based learning, conflict resolution strategies, and effective communication skills can foster healthy parent-child relationships and reduce the likelihood of violence.
• Enhanced child development: Children who receive nurturing and supportive care are more likely to develop strong social and emotional skills, leading to positive outcomes in school, relationships, and overall well-being.
• Strengthened family bonds: Parenting support programs have been proven to help families build resilience, cope with stress, and create a safe and loving environment.
• Prevention of abuse and neglect: Evidence-based parenting programs are effective in preventing child abuse and neglect by providing access to the resources and knowledge necessary to create safe and nurturing environments for children
• Reduced community violence: By addressing the root causes of violence within families, these programs can contribute to a safer and more peaceful society.
• Investment in society: Research suggests that every dollar spent on early childhood interventions delivers a 13 per cent per annum return on investment, through better education, economic, health and social outcomes.
• Long-Term Benefits: Positive parenting practices are linked to better long-term outcomes for children, including improved educational achievement and reduced risk-taking behaviours throughout their lives

“It is for these reasons that UNICEF is working hard to achieve a vision of universal parenting support for all parents and caregivers, everywhere – including in South Africa”, says UNICEF South Africa Representative, Christine Muhigana. 

 “As we mark 16 Days of Activism this year, we know that there is more that government, the police and the criminal justice system must do to turn the tide. But we are reminded also that each of us is not powerless, and that we can all take action to end violence,’ adds Muhigana.

 Parenting support programmes and resources are one such way to take action. Accessible, low-data and often freely-available online or in person, parenting support resources and programmes – like ParentText, ParentLine the UNICEF Parenting Hub, ECDMobi, Side-by-Side and the National Parenting Programme – have the power to break intergenerational cycles of violence. 

 In every home where a caregiver receives parenting support and where conflict is resolved through positive parenting, gender-responsive parenting and communication, we see another step taken towards a South Africa free of violence against women and children, where every child can thrive.  

‘There is something you are given the day you are born’, says Thembile, ‘it’s called your mouth.’ ‘There are people who first use their fists to solve the problem and then want to talk afterwards, [but I’ve learnt] to use my words to fix things.’” 

Media contacts:

Sudeshan Reddy, Communication Specialist, UNICEF South Africa

Tel: +27 82 561 3970. Email: sureddy@unicef.org

Daniel Hartford, Campaigns and Communications, UNICEF South Africa

Tel: +27 78 828 7371. Email: dhartford@unicef.org

Additional resources

Visit our Parenting hub

Watch Thembile's story