A/HRC/16/54 times fuelling pressure to keep children, particularly girls, away from school and encouraging dropping out of school as a means of preventing further violence and harm. 95. Framed by these critical dimensions, in 2011, the Special Representative will host, in cooperation with key partners, an expert consultation on the prevention and elimination of violence in education. 2. Violence and the administration of justice 96. Protection of children from violence within the justice system will be another topic of special concern. As highlighted at the twelfth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, and confirmed by numerous initiatives promoted across regions, this is an area where significant steps are needed to narrow the gap between international human rights standards and the reality on the ground, and where there is great potential to capitalize on significant experiences in different parts of the world, including the development of child-friendly justice procedures and mechanisms, the promotion of child-sensitive materials, the establishment of independent monitoring mechanisms to uphold children’s rights, and the consolidation of evidence to inform the development of laws, policies and programmes. 97. A justice system based on the respect of the rights of the child is critical when preventing and addressing incidents of violence against children. Child victims of violence, including as a result of trafficking and exploitation, are, however, still too often criminalized and deprived of the protection that they should enjoy as children. Marginalized children, including those living in poverty, migrants and asylum-seekers face risks of physical, psychological and sexual violence, are denied access to legal assistance, or placed in detention instead of benefiting from adequate care arrangements. Frequently considered the first option rather than a measure of last resort, the deprivation of liberty remains a reality for thousands of children. Violence, including torture and humiliating treatment, is used as a form of control, discipline and punishment; in some countries, sentencing can include caning, flogging, stoning or amputation, as well as capital punishment and life imprisonment. 98. The situation of these children remains surrounded by stigma. There is little information on those deprived of liberty and on the reasons behind their detention; independent monitoring mechanisms are seldom available to safeguard their protection and address their complaints. Sensationalistic information and ill perception of growing juvenile delinquency build social pressure to criminalize children and adolescents, and for the introduction of an increasingly lower minimum age of criminal responsibility and harsher measures of deprivation of liberty. As a result, a culture of tolerance to violence against children persists, and the fight against impunity for acts of violence against children is confronted with renewed challenges. These are critical concerns that the Special Representative will address in the context of her mandate, missions and supported regional initiatives. 99. The Special Representative looks forward to continuing to collaborate closely with Member States and all other relevant stakeholders to consolidate the implementation of the United Nations study recommendations and achieve children’s freedom from violence in all its forms. GE.11-11445 21