About INSPIRE

IMPLEMENTATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF LAWS

INSPIRE encourages laws that ban violent punishment of children by parents, caregivers, teachers and other adults, along with laws criminalizing perpetrators of sexual abuse and exploitation of children. INSPIRE also found that laws preventing alcohol misuse and youth access to firearms (and other weapons) have been proven to decrease violence. 

NORMS AND VALUES

INSPIRE emphasizes the importance of changing harmful societal norms, which can target gender, ability level, age and other indicators. INSPIRE provides examples of effective community mobilization and bystander intervention programs.

SAFE ENVIRONMENTS

INSPIRE has found a reduction in violence by addressing “hotspots.” Making environments safer with parks, public transportation, lighting after dark, or other strategies to reduce crime can halt the spread of violence throughout a community. 

PARENT AND CAREGIVER SUPPORT

To truly stop violence against children, it is essential to engage parents and caregivers. INSPIRE provides ways of doing so, including home visits, group activities in community settings, and other evidence-based programs that target parents and caregivers. 

INCOME AND ECONOMIC STRENGTHENING

Violence can often be prevented if a family’s financial status improves. INSPIRE outlines interventions that strengthen families’ economic standing, including cash transfers, group savings and loans programs combined with gender equity training, and microfinance initiatives combined with gender norm training. 

RESPONSE AND SUPPORT SERVICES

INSPIRE provides examples of effective counselling and therapeutic approaches, screening combined with interventions, and treatment programs for juvenile offenders in the criminal justice system. In addition, the package includes foster care interventions that involve existing social welfare services. 

EDUCATION AND LIFE SKILLS

INSPIRE provides recommendations for increasing enrollment in preschools, primary schools and secondary schools, and relays the importance of safe, enabling school environments. By increasing children’s knowledge about violence and sexual exploitation, children are less likely to become victim to such abuses, making life skills and social training an essential part of the INSPIRE package.