The Israel National Council for the Child () in

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

, Israel, is an Israeli independent non-profit

non-governmental organization A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...

that advocates for

children's rights Children's rights or the rights of children are a subset of human rights with particular attention to the rights of special protection and care afforded to minors.

and well-being.Israel National Council for the Child.
Retrieved October 13, 2014. The organization serves all religions, ethnicities, and income levels in Israel. The NCC was created in 1980 by the

President of Israel The president of the State of Israel (, or ) is the head of state of Israel. The president is mostly, though not entirely, ceremonial; actual executive power is vested in the Cabinet of Israel, cabinet led by the Prime Minister of Israel, pr ...

. It is the oldest and largest children's rights advocacy organization in Israel.

Activities

The NCC undertakes a number of activities in the interest of Israeli children. The NCC's

ombudsmen An ombudsman ( , also ) is a government employee who investigates and tries to resolve complaints, usually through recommendations (binding or not) or mediation. They are usually appointed by the government or by parliament (often with a sign ...

, a position established in 1999 after a three-year test project, investigates thousands of potential violations annually.

History

The NCC was created in 1980 by the

. In February 1990, the NCC published a report that concluded that abused and neglected children in Israel faced a shortage of

juvenile court Juvenile court, also known as young offender's court or children's court, is a tribunal having special authority to pass judgements for crimes committed by children who have not attained the age of majority. In most modern legal systems, chi ...

judges and a case backlog, and suggested the creation of a country-wide children-protection authority. Every year since 1992, the NCC has published "The State of the Child in Israel – A Statistical Abstract," which contains data on Israeli children. In 1998, the NCC created the Child Victim Assistance Project, managed by an attorney, to provide child victims and their supporting families with information, and with support and advocacy services. The NCC has sought for many years to terminate

corporal punishment A corporal punishment or a physical punishment is a punishment which is intended to cause physical pain to a person. When it is inflicted on Minor (law), minors, especially in home and school settings, its methods may include spanking or Padd ...

against children within Israel. According to Director Yitzchak Kadman, even slaps are "not ethical and not educational and

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destructive results". In December 2007, the NCC's Executive Director warned of "the potential damage to the

mental health Mental health is often mistakenly equated with the absence of mental illness. However, mental health refers to a person's overall emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It influences how individuals think, feel, and behave, and how t ...

of a child exposed" to

pedophile Pedophilia ( alternatively spelled paedophilia) is a psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children. Although girls typically begin the process of puber ...

s online, and warned that maintaining child pornography on a computer is not only illegal but has the effect of providing support for an industry that causes harm to children. In 2010, the NCC helped draft a

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bill providing state compensation to minors who suffer

physical abuse Physical abuse is any intentional act causing injury or trauma to another person or animal by way of bodily contact. In most cases, children are the victims of physical abuse, but adults can also be victims, as in cases of domestic violence or ...

sexual abuse Sexual abuse or sex abuse is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using physical force, or by taking advantage of another. It often consists of a persistent pattern of sexual assaults. The offender is re ...

. In November 2011, NCC's Executive Director noted that as of the spring of 2011, due to a legislative amendment that the NCC had started, Israeli law forbids employing any person in Israel who has been convicted of child pornography issues."On the agenda"
, Israel National Council for the Child. October 13, 2014. In January 2012, the NCC reported that over 1,000 Israeli children and teens were considered

missing Missing or The Missing may refer to: Film * ''Missing'' (1918 film), an American silent drama directed by James Young * ''Missing'' (1982 film), an American historical drama directed by Costa-Gavras about the 1973 coup in Chile *, a Belgian film ...

, and said that the number could be decreased by improving information flow between the Israeli

Ministry of Welfare and Social Services The Ministry of Welfare and Social Affairs () is the branch of government charged with overseeing employment and ensuring the welfare of the public in Israel and oversee the supply of services. The position is currently held by Ya'akov Margi. H ...

, the

Ministry of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...

, and the

Israeli police The Israel Police (; ) is the civilian police force of Israel. As with most other police forces in the world, its duties include crime fighting, traffic control, maintaining public safety, and counter-terrorism. It is under the jurisdiction o ...

. Most of the missing children (980) were over 12 years old; 14 were between 1–5; and 76 were ages 11–16. In December 2013, the Israeli

approved a bill co-drafted by the NCC, regulating foster care.

Management

Dr. Yitzhak Kadman has served as Executive Director of the NCC from 1986 to 2016. Since 2016, Vered Windman, formerly the head of the NCC's legal department, serves as the Executive Director.

References

External links

NCC homepageYoung Children in Israel: A Country Study
by National Council of the Child. The Center for Research and Public Education; edited by Galia Efrat; Published by Center for Research and Public Education, the National Council for the Child (1998) {{DEFAULTSORT:Israel National Council for the Child Child-related organizations in Israel Missing people organizations Anti–child pornography organizations Organizations established in 1990 Internet safety 1990 establishments in Israel Child welfare in Israel Non-profit organizations based in Israel Sexual abuse advocacy and support groups