18 November 2009

A new document, “Violence in the EU Examined: Policies on Violence against Women, Children and Youth in 2004 EU Accession Countries,” assesses violence in the ten countries that joined the European Union in 2004. The report analyzes violence against women, children, and youth in these ten countries, as well as efforts to combat this violence, particularly from legislative changes made after accession into the EU. The effect of EU recommendations on issues of human trafficking, gender-based violence, sexual harassment, pornography, and prostitution are examined.

Additionally, contributing authors theorize on policies regarding violence against women from sociological and legal perspectives and suggest alternative mechanisms to end gender-based violence. Research on mail order brides, secondary victimization of Croatian children, and migrant women and children who are survivors of domestic violence provides case studies for understanding violence against women.

The document also presents several recommendations on how to improve legislation on violence against women, children, and youth in the EU. These recommendations are based on analysis of legislation from the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia and address “physical, psychological, economic, sexual, interpersonal, domestic and intimate partnership violence; sexual harassment; female genital mutilation; crimes in the name of honour; trafficking in persons, sexual exploitation; child prostitution; and child pornography and corporal punishment.”

Compiled from: “Violence in the EU Examined: Policies on Violence against Women, Children and Youth in 2004 EU Accession Countries,” Milica Antić Gaber (editor), University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Arts (2009). (PDF, 202 pages.)