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Devries K, Knight L, Petzold M, et al. Who perpetrates violence against children? A systematic analysis of age-specific and sex-specific data. BMJ Paediatr Open. 2018;2(1):e000180doi: 10.1136/bmjpo-2017-000180.
Devries, K., Knight, L., Petzold, M., Merrill, K. G., Maxwell, L., Williams, A., Cappa, C., Chan, K. L., Garcia-Moreno, C., Hollis, N., Kress, H., Peterman, A., Walsh, S. D., Kishor, S., Guedes, A., Bott, S., Butron Riveros, B. C., Watts, C., & Abrahams, N. (2018). Who perpetrates violence against children? A systematic analysis of age-specific and sex-specific data. BMJ paediatrics open, 2(1), e000180. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjpo-2017-000180
Devries, Karen, et al. "Who perpetrates violence against children? A systematic analysis of age-specific and sex-specific data." BMJ paediatrics open vol. 2,1 (2018): e000180. doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjpo-2017-000180
Devries K, Knight L, Petzold M, Merrill KG, Maxwell L, Williams A, Cappa C, Chan KL, Garcia-Moreno C, Hollis N, Kress H, Peterman A, Walsh SD, Kishor S, Guedes A, Bott S, Butron Riveros BC, Watts C, Abrahams N. Who perpetrates violence against children? A systematic analysis of age-specific and sex-specific data. BMJ Paediatr Open. 2018 Feb 07;2(1):e000180. doi: 10.1136/bmjpo-2017-000180. eCollection 2018. PMID: 29637183; PMCID: PMC5842994.
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BMJ Paediatr Open. 2018 Feb 07;2(1):e000180. doi: 10.1136/bmjpo-2017-000180. eCollection 2018.

Who perpetrates violence against children? A systematic analysis of age-specific and sex-specific data.

BMJ paediatrics open

Karen Devries, Louise Knight, Max Petzold, Katherine G Merrill, Lauren Maxwell, Abigail Williams, Claudia Cappa, Ko Ling Chan, Claudia Garcia-Moreno, NaTasha Hollis, Howard Kress, Amber Peterman, Sophie D Walsh, Sunita Kishor, Alessandra Guedes, Sarah Bott, Betzabe C Butron Riveros, Charlotte Watts, Naeemah Abrahams

Affiliations

  1. Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
  2. Health Metrics at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
  3. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Departmentof International Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
  4. McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
  5. Brunel University, Uxbridge, UK.
  6. Data and Analytics Section, Division of Data, Research and Policy, UNICEF, New York, USA.
  7. Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong.
  8. World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
  9. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, US Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
  10. UNICEF Office of Research-Innocenti, Florence, Toscana, Italy.
  11. Department of Criminology, Health Behaviors of School Aged children violence and injuries focus group, Bar Ian University, Israel.
  12. The Demographic and Health Program, International Health Division, ICF, Rockville, Maryland, USA.
  13. Department of Family, Gender and Life Course, Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization Regional Office for the Americas, Washington, USA.
  14. International Consultant.
  15. Gender and Health Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa.

PMID: 29637183 PMCID: PMC5842994 DOI: 10.1136/bmjpo-2017-000180

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The epidemiology of violence against children is likely to differ substantially by sex and age of the victim and the perpetrator. Thus far, investment in effective prevention strategies has been hindered by lack of clarity in the burden of childhood violence across these dimensions. We produced the first age-specific and sex-specific prevalence estimates by perpetrator type for physical, sexual and emotional violence against children globally.

DESIGN: We used random effects meta-regression to estimate prevalence. Estimates were adjusted for relevant quality covariates, variation in definitions of violence and weighted by region-specific, age-specific and sex-specific population data to ensure estimates reflect country population structures.

DATA SOURCES: Secondary data from 600 population or school-based representative datasets and 43 publications obtained via systematic literature review, representing 13 830 estimates from 171 countries.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SELECTING STUDIES: Estimates for recent violence against children aged 0-19 were included.

RESULTS: The most common perpetrators of physical and emotional violence for both boys and girls across a range of ages are household members, with prevalence often surpassing 50%, followed by student peers. Children reported experiencing more emotional than physical violence from both household members and students. The most common perpetrators of sexual violence against girls aged 15-19 years are intimate partners; however, few data on other perpetrators of sexual violence against children are systematically collected internationally. Few age-specific and sex-specific data are available on violence perpetration by schoolteachers; however, existing data indicate high prevalence of physical violence from teachers towards students. Data from other authority figures, strangers, siblings and other adults are limited, as are data on neglect of children.

CONCLUSIONS: Without further investment in data generation on violence exposure from multiple perpetrators for boys and girls of all ages, progress towards Sustainable Development Goals 4, 5 and 16 may be slow. Despite data gaps, evidence shows violence from household members, peers in school and for girls, from intimate partners, should be prioritised for prevention.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO 2015: CRD42015024315.

Keywords: bullying; child abuse; intimate partner violence; school violence; violence against children

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

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