Alcohol-related child maltreatment

Aim: To increase understanding of alcohol-related child maltreatment on the basis of child protection cases in Lithuania. The study is based on a document content analysis of 203 case records of families at social risk. It identifies the prevalence of alcohol-related harm by analysing associations between types of drinkers and child maltreatment. It also maps the distribution of people who typically report this maltreatment. Both qualitative and quantitative analytical approaches are employed. Results: Child neglect was the most prevalent type of child maltreatment and was usually reported together with other types of child maltreatment. Child maltreatment was typically mentioned in the context of a caregiver’s heavy drinking. In 85.7% (174) of the cases, the family had at least one problem drinker. More than one problem drinker was detected in as many as a third of all cases. At least one form of child maltreatment was detected in families with a drinking mother in 60% of the cases (w2 ¼ 4.825, p 0.05), and in 15% of the cases (p >0.05) when there was a drinking partner in the family. The most common source of reporting by the authorities was the police (26.6%), and the most typical non-official source was the child’s relatives (16.3%). Conclusions: Alcoholrelated child maltreatment needs special attention if issues of child safety in Lithuania are to be disclosed, evaluated, and responded to. Further research on this topic is needed

Neįgalumo būklė Lietuvoje

Šie metai – gailestingumo metai, todėl nemažai dėmesio skiriama neįgaliųjų problemoms Lietuvoje. Siekiama, jog neįgalieji ne tik ugdytų tikėjimą, bet ir bendruomenė juos pripažintų visaverčiais piliečiais. Darbo tikslai: įvertinti, ar Lietuvoje sukurta teisinė bazė, ginanti neįgaliųjų interesus bei įvertinti neįgalumą atspindinčių statistinių rodiklių dinamiką 10 metų laikotarpiu, atkreipiant dėmesį, kokios dažniausios vaikų ir darbingo amžiaus asmenų pirminio neįgalumo priežastys. Svarbiausias dokumentas, ginantis Lietuvos neįgaliųjų interesus, gerai sukurta teisinė bazė – „Lietuvos Respublikos neįgaliųjų socialinės integracijos įstatymas“.Šis įstatymas sudaro galimybes objektyviau įvertinti žmogaus gebėjimus dirbti, gauti būtinas medicininės, profesinės ir socialinės reabilitacijos paslaugas bei išmokas.2015 metais šalyje gyveno 260155 neįgalūs asmenys, iš jų neįgalūs vaikai sudarė 5,9 proc. (15544 asmenys). Dažniausios pirminio neįgalumo priežastys skirtingose lyties bei amžiaus grupėse: 18 – 30 metų amžiaus grupėje – psichikos ir elgesio sutrikimai, vyraujantys vyrų grupėje;30 – 45 metų amžiaus grupėje – navikiniai susirgimai,vyraujantys moterų grupėje; 45 – 64 metų amžiaus grupėje – kraujotakos sistemos ligos, vyraujančios vyrų grupėje. Tarp asmenų iki 18 m. (tiek berniukų, tiek mergaičių) pirmą kartą nustatytos dažniausios neįgalumo priežastys:psichikos ir elgesio sutrikimai (42 proc.), įgimtos formavimosi ydos, deformacijos ir chromosomų anomalijos (17 proc.), nervų sistemos ligos (9 proc.). Raktažodžiai: negalia, neįgalusis, pirminis neįgalumas, teisinė bazė.This year is a compassion year, so some attention is given to disabled person‘s problems in Lithuania. Disabled persons should not only develop their spirit, but community admit that they are full citizens. Aim is to evaluate legal base in Lithuania, which protects disabled person’s interests, also evaluate disability reflective statistic index dynamics in a period of ten years, according to most common children and adults primary disability reasons. The main document, which protects Lithuanian disabled person’s interests, is well-built legal base called ,,Lithuanian Republic disabled person’s social integration law’’. This law make chances to objectively evaluate person’s ability to work, get necessary medical, professional and social rehabilitation services and payments. In 2015 in Lithuania lived 260155 disabled persons. 5,9 per cent of them was disabled children (15544 persons). The most common primary disability reasons for different sex and age groups: in 18 – 30 years age group – mental and behavior disorders, prevailing in men‘s group; in 30 – 45 years age group – tumor cases, prevailing in women‘s group; in 45 – 64 years age group – cardiovascular diseases, prevailing in men‘s group. Among persons till 18 years old (boys and girls) primary disability reasons are: mental and behavior disorders (42 per cent), congenital formation vices, deformations and chromosome abnormalities (17 per cent), nervous system diseases (9 per cent). Key words: disability, disabled person, primary disability, legal base

Covid-19 “vaccine passport” discourses : an exploratory study of 23 countries

This comparative study looks into the proposed “vaccine passport” initiative from various human rights aspects. It was undertaken by the Global Digital Human Rights Network, an action started under the EU’s Cooperation in Science and Technology programme. The network currently unites more than 80 scholars and practitioners from 40 countries. The findings are based on responses to questions put to the network members by the authors of this study in February 2021 (questions attached in Annex I). We acknowledge individual contributions from colleagues (listed in the table of contributors above), whose views are sometimes presented in a generalised fashion. The study concentrated on the availability of a legal framework for the proposed “vaccine passport”, whether such a “passport” would create binding obligations in the public and private sectors or, alternatively, what would be the scope of discretion allowed to public and private entities to make their decisions affecting rights holders’ access to various services. The attitudes prevalent in different states and in the media were also analysed, along with the aspects that need to be considered to avoid potential human rights violations. There has been no thorough analysis in most countries as to whether a normative national basis exists to restrict fundamental rights through the requirement of having a “vaccine passport” to access certain locations or services. Compatibility of the proposed passport with European and/or international human rights rules and principles is a marginal issue in public discourse. Conceptualisation about such compatibility remains general and theoretical, and has not reached the level of practicality and effectiveness. Most countries have not enacted concrete legislative acts or provisions to deal with a pandemic of this scale and magnitude. [Excerpt from Introduction and Synopsis]peer-reviewe