Focusing on the refugee communities in Nyarugusu, Tanzania, and the displaced populations and host communities in and around Erbil, Iraq, an IRC research project aims to identify the key factors that shape and define social norms related to violence against children ages 7 to 12.
Social norms, the customary rules within a group or culture, have been found to have a profound impact on individual behavior. They can influence the acceptance and prevalence of inflicting corporal punishment on children at home and in school. Data analyzed by UNICEF (2014) from 62 countries shows that 4 out of 5 children aged 2 to 14 have been subjected to violent discipline; and 1 in 5 children in 23 countries, most of which are conflict-affected, experience the most severe forms of corporal punishment.