Project report

Twenty Years On: From Pinheiro’s Landmark Study to a World Where Every Child Has Somewhere to Turn

Helen Mason · 14 Oct 2026

Abstract

In 2006, the world was presented with a landmark report that challenged governments, institutions and societies to confront an uncomfortable truth: violence against children is widespread, occurs in every country and setting, and is never justifiable. Led by Professor Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, the United Nations Study on Violence Against Children changed the global conversation. It made violence against children a matter of international accountability and called for comprehensive action to prevent it, protect children and hold those responsible to account. Twenty years later, as Dr Najat Maalla M’jid, the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children, presents her latest report to the UN General Assembly, we have an opportunity to recognize the legacy of that landmark study — and the people and partnerships that have carried its vision forward. The message remains as urgent as ever: violence against children is preventable. But prevention requires political will, sustained investment, reliable evidence and systems that children can actually access. Pinheiro changed the conversation. But did children's realities change? The significance of the Pinheiro Study was not simply that it documented violence. It established a global framework for action, bringing together evidence, recommendations and the voices of children to challenge the acceptance of violence as inevitable or unavoidable. It also called for the appointment of a Special Representative of the Secretary-General to promote dissemination of the findings and ensure follow-up to its recommendations. That mandate became a critical part of the international architecture for preventing and responding to violence against children. The study helped shift the focus from isolated interventions towards comprehensive child protection systems, stronger national commitments, prevention, accountability and children’s participation. That shift matters enormously to child helplines. Children need more than recognition of their rights in international agreements. They need accessible ways to seek help, trusted people who will listen, and services capable of responding when violence occurs. The power of evidence: bringing children's experiences into view At Child Helpline International, we have worked to ensure that the experiences children share with child helplines contribute to this global understanding. Through our series of Violence Against Children (VAC) reports, CHI has brought together anonymized data from child helplines across countries and regions to illuminate the forms of violence children report, the circumstances surrounding their experiences, and the support they seek. These reports have helped demonstrate why child helplines are more than a point of contact for individual children – they are also an important source of frontline evidence for understanding violence, identifying emerging concerns and informing policies and programmes. Our VAC reporting has examined violence and abuse, including neglect, physical, psychological and sexual violence, as well as bullying and cyberbullying. It has helped bring children and young people’s experiences into conversations that might otherwise be dominated by institutional data, official reporting and adult perspectives. This evidence must always be understood in context. The data reflects those children who reach out, and the accessibility of services and capacity of child helplines to respond and record these contacts. It cannot establish the prevalence of violence across an entire population – but it can reveal patterns, expose gaps and show decision-makers what children are asking for when they seek help. And there is a fundamental point here: we must ensure that the voices of children and young people do not simply disappear into a dataset, a report or a policy discussion. When children do reach out, they give us the opportunity to act. Keeping violence against children on the global agenda The progress made over these two decades has depended on sustained leadership, collaboration and the determination to keep children’s rights visible in global decision making. As UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children since 2019, Dr Najat Maalla M’jid has played an important role in advancing the Pinheiro Study’s legacy. Through her mandate, she has brought governments, international organizations, civil society, the private sector and children together around the shared responsibility to prevent and respond to violence. Her work has helped sustain political attention, promote collaboration across sectors and encourage action on evolving challenges, including violence in digital environments. Her latest report provides an important opportunity to take stock of progress, acknowledge persistent gaps and renew the commitment to accelerate action. Child Helpline International recognizes the importance of this leadership and the space it creates for organizations working directly with children to contribute their experience and evidence. Global leadership is essential. So, too, is the connection between international ambition and the everyday realities of children and the services supporting them. That connection must remain at the heart of the next phase of action. Child helplines are part of the solution Across the world, child helplines provide children and young people with a way to seek advice, disclose violence, access counselling and connect with protection and support services. For some, a child helpline is the first place they feel able to tell someone what is happening. For others, it is a vital link to the services that can help them reach safety. Yet access remains uneven. Some countries lack a national child helpline. Others face barriers involving funding, staffing, technology, awareness or connections to wider protection systems. Services cannot fulfil their potential if they are expected to respond to children and young people’s needs without sustainable investment and effective referral pathways. Governments must therefore recognize child helplines as an essential component of national child protection systems. This means investing in safe, confidential, accessible and child-centred services; strengthening cooperation with social services, health services, education and law enforcement where appropriate; and ensuring that anonymized child helpline data informs prevention and policymaking. It also means adapting to how children and young people live today. Violence and exploitation occur both offline and online, and children and young people need support that reflects these realities. Child helplines can help identify emerging risks, respond to children’s concerns and ensure their experiences inform the development of more effective protection measures. Our ambition at Child Helpline International is clear: a child helpline in every country of the world by 2030, so that every child has somewhere to turn. The next 20 years must deliver more than commitments The Pinheiro Study gave the world a framework for understanding and responding to violence against children. Our VAC reports have helped bring frontline evidence and children and young people’s experiences into that work. And the mandate led by Najat Maalla M’jid has helped maintain international attention and mobilize collective action. These contributions are part of a wider global effort, involving children and young people, governments, civil society, researchers, practitioners and many others who refuse to accept violence as inevitable. The Children Unite Us campaign is a timely reminder that protecting children is a shared responsibility. But unity must translate into action: stronger national systems, better prevention, accessible support, sustainable financing and accountability for the commitments governments make. Twenty years on, we know so much more. We have stronger frameworks. We have evidence of what works. We have a global community committed to change. Now we must close the gap between what the world has promised children and what children experience in their everyday lives. Child Helpline International will continue to bring the voices and experiences shared through our network into global discussions, to support our members and to advocate for the recognition and resourcing of child helplines as an essential part of effective child protection. Because progress cannot be measured only by the reports published, the commitments announced or the meetings held. It must be measured by whether children are safer, whether violence is prevented, and whether every child who reaches out can find someone ready to listen and help. Twenty years after Pinheiro, that is the task ahead of us, and it is a task we must pursue together. Every child deserves to be heard. Every child deserves protection. Every child deserves somewhere to turn. Helen Mason Executive Director The post Twenty Years On: From Pinheiro’s Landmark Study to a World Where Every Child Has Somewhere to Turn appeared first on Child Helpline International.