The impact of unconditional cash transfers on nutrition

The South African Child Support Grant (CSG)

By: JM Aguero, MR Carter & I Woolard
Published by: UNDP International Poverty Centre, 2007
Via: Eldis

This paper estimates the impact of South Africa’s Child Support Grant (CSG) on child nutrition as measured by child height-for-age. It finds that large dosages of CSG treatment early in life significantly boosts child height. While income transfers such as those of the CSG should help immediately to redress poverty, the question remains whether they help facilitate a longer-term pathway from poverty.

One way that they might contribute to this goal is by enhancing the durable human capital stock of the next generation. These estimated height gains observed in the case of South Africa suggest large adult earnings increases for treated children and a discounted rate of return on CSG payments of between 160-230 per cent.

(http://www.undp-povertycentre.org/pub/IPCWorkingPaper39.pdf)

Child Protection Strategy

Published by: UNICEF, 2008
Via: UNPulse

The Child Protection Strategy (E/ICEF/2008/5) defines the contribution of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to national and international efforts to fulfill children's rights to protection and to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, within the context of the UNICEF medium-term strategic plan for 2006-2009 (E/ICEF/2005/11). The strategy has been developed through intensive consultation with a wide range of key partners and UNICEF staff.

(http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=E/ICEF/2008/5)

State of the World's Children 2008

Published by: UNICEF, 2008
Via: UNPulse

UNICEF has launched the 2008 State of the World's Children. The report provides an assessment of the current state of the child survival and primary health care for mothers, newborns and children and examines lessons learned in child health. In addition to the full report, the website has multimedia content, fast facts, and statistical data.

(http://www.unicef.org/sowc08/docs/sowc08.pdf)

Progress for children

A world fit for children statistical review

Published by: UNICEF, 2007
Via: UNPulse

UNICEF has launched an interactive report, Progress for children: a world fit for children statistical Review. The report reviews world progress on meeting commitments for chiledern in four priority areas:

• Promoting healthy lives,
• providing a quality education,
• combating HIV and AIDS, and
• protecting against abuse, exploitation and violence

(http://www.unicef.org/progressforchildren/2007n6/files/Progress_for_Children
_-_No._6.pdf)

Gendered dimensions of obesity in childhood and adolescence

By: Helen N Sweeting
Published in: Nutrition Journal 2008, 7:1
Via: Docuticker

This review suggests differences between males and females in exposure and vulnerability to obesogenic environments, the consequences of child and adolescent obesity, and responses to interventions for the condition. A clearer focus on gender differences is required among both researchers and policy makers within this field.

(http://www.nutritionj.com/content/7/1/1)

Ordinal proprotionality in punishment

A case against capital punishment for child rape under the eighth amendment

By: Issa Kohler-Hausmann
Via: Docuticker

This article argues that various theories of justice in punishment adhere to a principle of ordinal proportionality - relative grading of penalties in measure to the relative severity of the crimes for which they are imposed. Ordinal proportionality is a demand of both deterrence and retributive theories of justice; in addition it is a tenet well entrenched in the Supreme Court’s current Eighth Amendment jurisprudence. Under this principle the state cannot subject the crime of child rape to capital punishment because even a crime as horrendous as rape is not on par with murder in terms of harm and blameworthiness

(http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1084871)

No easy answers

Sex offender laws in the US

Published by: Human Rights Watch (HRW), 2007
Via: Docuticker

Laws aimed at people convicted of sex offenses may not protect children from sex crimes but do lead to harassment, ostracism and even violence against former offenders, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Human Rights Watch urges the reform of state and federal registration and community notification laws, and the elimination of residency restrictions, because they violate basic rights of former offenders.

The 146-page report, “No Easy Answers: Sex Offender Laws in the United States,” is the first comprehensive study of US sex offender policies, their public safety impact, and the effect they have on former offenders and their families. During two years of investigation for this report, Human Rights Watch researchers conducted over 200 interviews with victims of sexual violence and their relatives, former offenders, law enforcement and government officials, treatment providers, researchers, and child safety advocates.

(http://hrw.org/reports/2007/us0907/)