National Preventive Mechanism ¾¾ Upbringing that is free of violence must be ensured for all minors. ¾¾ Assistance opportunities must be individualised, including within the framework of full residential care. ¾¾ Scientifically-based plans to assist children and juveniles by the Laender must include care deficits and measures to remedy them. ¾¾ Laws governing occupations and professions and the training of social pedagogues should be standardised Austria-wide (agreement under Section 15a of the Federal Constitution). 2.3.2 System-related problem areas Prevention of violence – a monitoring priority Recommendations are being implemented As was demonstrated by the 2013/2014 monitoring priority on the topic of “Measures to prevent violence”, unfavourable framework conditions in facilities have an impact on the creation and entrenchment of violence dynamics. This is shown in this report based on some individual cases that are portrayed in detail on pp. 109 et seq. The NPM has confronted the representatives of the Laender as competent authorities for children and youth welfare and protection with these observations and has recommended increased training and continuing education opportunities on prevention of violence for all social pedagogues. The competent authorities have largely implemented these recommendations or held out the prospect of implementation. Sexual assault among chidren Sexual violence is a special form of violence. A sexual assault among children is defined as sexual actions that are forced by an abusive child on another child or that the abused child tolerates unwillingly or if the abused child participates in an assault on another child against his/her will. Frequently, a power imbalance is exploited, for example, by exerting pressure by making promises or threats or through physical violence. It is possible to find ways out of this “place of powerlessness” and support minors better by using prevention, sex education and professional care. If such incidents are not brought out into the open, there is a danger that behaviour patterns that violate boundaries become entrenched and thus increasingly difficult to resolve. It is necessary to be familiar with the sexual development of children and to know about childhood sexuality in order to be able to assess where the line is between sexual activity and sexual abuse among children. Therefore, this aspect has been designated as a special monitoring priority for 2015 jointly with the commissions. When sexuality becomes an open topic that one can talk about, new dimensions in thinking, feeling, talking and acting are uncovered and can reveal boundaries. Effective prevention 106