06/04/2026
Violence against children is defined as any deliberate, unwanted, and non-essential act—or threat of an act—that results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in death, physical harm, or psychological suffering. It includes physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, as well as neglect and exploitation, impacting children under 18.
Key Facts on Violence Against Children
Prevalence: Up to 1 billion children aged 2–17 years (roughly half of all children worldwide) have experienced physical, sexual, or emotional violence or neglect in the past year.
Perpetrators: Often, violence occurs at the hands of people the child trusts, including parents, caregivers, teachers, peers, or romantic partners.
Settings: It takes place in homes, schools, communities, and increasingly, online.
Impact: It can lead to severe injuries, death, impaired brain development, mental health issues (anxiety, depression), and lifelong health risk behaviors.
Main Types of Violence Against Children
Maltreatment (Physical & Emotional): Involves corporal punishment, spanking, slaps, kicks, beating, and emotional abuse such as threats, ridicule, rejection, or humiliation.
Neglect: Failure by parents or caregivers to provide for a child's basic needs (food, clothing, shelter, medical care), which seriously endangers their physical or emotional development.
Sexual Violence: Includes non-consensual sexual contact, forced sexual acts, child trafficking, and exposure to sexual materials or exploitation, including online.
Bullying and Peer Violence: Aggressive, repeated behavior by other children, including physical fights, harassment, and cyberbullying.
Child Marriage and Harmful Practices: Includes early/forced marriage, which often brings a high risk of sexual and physical abuse.
Causes and Risk Factors
Violence often stems from unequal power dynamics, lack of awareness of child development, and social norms that condone or normalize corporal punishment. Additional risk factors include family dysfunction, poverty, alcohol or drug misuse, and high levels of stress within the home.
Prevention and Protection
Violence against children is preventable, not inevitable. Effective strategies, such as those in the INSPIRE package, include strengthening laws, supporting parents, promoting non-violent norms, and ensuring that child protection services are available.
