The survey commissioned by ChildFund canvassed the views of over 6,000 children, aged between 10 and 12, in 47 countries. They were asked their views on the causes of violence and exploitation in their communities.
About 45 percent of Australian children surveyed identified alcohol as the main cause of violence, nearly three times the global average of 16 percent. A high percentage of the children surveyed in in Cambodia and Mongolia also blamed alcohol for the violence they saw in their communities, 90 percent and 53 percent respectively.
The survey comes as the Australian National Council on Drugs releases research showing one in eight deaths of young people under 25 are attributed to alcohol.
ChildFund Australia chief executive Nigel Spence’s says the survey provides views not often heard by policymakers.
“Very often when we talk about social issues or development challenges, the views of children are not included.
“It is important to listen to the voice of children, hear what they have to say, hear what their recommendations are, and take those into account when we’re trying to tackle conflict, social problems, like violence and child abuse.”
Listen to the full interview with ChildFund Australia's Nigel Spence below.
He says the organisation’s branches globally are pushing to ensure child protection becomes a new Millennium Development Goal post-2015.
"The forms of threat to children are many and varied. Some of them clearly involve international co-operation when we’re talking about some very serious issues like child trafficking, children who are displaced, child migrants who are at risk," he said.
"If we’re going to get the really significant progress that we’ve been able to see in some other areas of development, like access to education, like access to clean water, we need that kind of high level and global action."
Survey participant 12-year-old Sithara French in Brisbane was born in South Africa. She says she knows just how lucky she is to grow up in an environment not torn by conflict.
"I think other countries can learn from Australia that you don't need war, and you don't need to fight because war doesn't get anyone anywhere," she told SBS. "No-one wins in the end. And we should really help each other and not just think about ourselves."
"And I think Australia can learn from other countries not to be wasteful. Not to waste food and water. Not to take what we have for granted."
She says crime was much more of an issue growing up in South Africa, but she believes drugs and alcohol are the main cause of violence in Australia.
"The main causes of violence is drugs and alcohol because teenagers drink too much and take drugs and that leads to them not being able to be who they are naturally and becoming violent and rebellious, which leads to other people around them getting hurt because of their actions.
"A way to stop this from happening is maybe to promote people to stop drinking and to become healthier instead of putting on ads for junk food."
The children were also asked to name their hero.
For Sithara, the choice was easy.
"My hero would be Nelson Mandela because he fought for equal rights even though he knew it would be dangerous. And my parents wouldn’t be together if Nelson Mandela didn’t help them. So I really think that Nelson Mandela is a great role model because he never gave up."
In Paraguay, children nominated fictional superheroes, while many children in Australia nominated their parents or family.
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