Author Description

This book explores the situation of violence against children (VAC) in the Caribbean context against an international backdrop. It examines the different dimensions of violence (direct, cultural and structural) and involves a sociological exploration of the factors that contribute to the high tolerance of violence that exists in the Caribbean region, with particular attention to Trinidad and Tobago. A deconstruction of the violence concept and its epistemological implications allows for a defining, refining, and re-defining of the phenomenon. The research examines the spheres of domestic violence, gender violence, violence against street children, and corporal punishment in great detail. The research adopts a rights-based analysis of the issue of VAC and incorporates an international review. It imports field research from Bangladesh, Canada, Nicaragua, and the Netherlands to inform the study. It conducts an evaluation of Trinidad and Tobago's standing with respect to the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and puts forward sound recommendations for change. The multi-design approach uses qualitative and quantitative data analysis to assess the nation's knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, and beliefs on the issue of VAC. The ultimate aim of the research is for its utilization by everyone, especially state policy makers, to promote a 'lowering' of the threshold of violence-tolerance, thereby fostering a more child-friendly society. [Subject: Social Work, Sociology, Children's rights]Ã?Â?