CoronaCrime #68

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a terrible toll on lives, illness, and economic devastation and it is having diverse effects on violence and crime. Daily Prevention News publishes weekly a Corona Crime Issue dedicated to collect related news and information.

1. Teen pregnancies in South Africa jump 60% during COVID-19 pandemic
   The number of children born to teen mothers in South Africa’s most populous province, Gauteng, has jumped 60% since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, with Save the Children concerned for the well-being of both mothers and babies. Early pregnancy and motherhood in South Africa forces many girls to drop out of school, traps many in a cycle of poverty dependant on public assistance, and leaves many stigmatised by society for being teenage mothers or forced into early marriage. Source: Save the Children
2. First day of school 'indefinitely postponed' for 140 million first-time students around the world
   A child's first day of school—a landmark moment for the youngest students and their parents around the world—has been delayed due to COVID-19 for an estimated 140 million young minds, UNICEF said in a new analysis released as summer break comes to end in many parts of the world. Source: UNICEF
3. Transparent communication about negative features of COVID-19 vaccines decreases acceptance but increases trust
   During a pandemic, governments face incentives to not disclose negative information about vaccines to not jeopardize public vaccine acceptance. Against these incentives, the current study provides an experimental, cross-national demonstration of the importance of transparency in communication about a vaccine against COVID-19. While disclosing negative information may increase hesitancy, transparency sustains trust in health authorities and hinders the spread of conspiracy beliefs. Source: PNAS
4. Humanitarians Push to Vaccinate in Conflict Zones
   From Afghanistan to Myanmar, Nigeria to Azerbaijan, people caught in the midst of violence and instability will need to be vaccinated in order to fully end the pandemic. But hammering out the necessary interludes of peace isn't easy — in all of world history, a global ceasefire has never taken place. Source: UNDARK

Please find more information and news about the interlinkages between the Coronavirus, Crime and Violence in German published every Tuesday on our German News Service Tägliche Präventions News.