Hidden in Plain Sight: A statistical analysis of violence against children

September 4, 2014

Hidden in Plain Sight: A statistical analysis of violence against children is the largest-ever compilation of data on the subject of violence against children. The report sheds light on the prevalence of different forms of violence against children, with global figures and data from 190 countries.

Where relevant, data are disaggregated by age and sex, to provide insights into risk and protective factors. This groundbreaking report concludes that interpersonal violence – in all its forms – has a grave effect on children:  violence undermines their future potential; damages their physical, psychological and emotional wellbeing; and in many cases ends their lives.

Note: National police statistics for some countries record lower homicide levels than the statistical estimates shown here (which are derived from World Health Organization analyses for the Global Burden of Disease 2010 Study). The Governments of Jordan and Rwanda have advised that they consider WHO estimates published in this UNICEF report to be too high (see official letters for Jordan and Rwanda). WHO has undertaken new analyses for overall homicide death rates for Member States, which incorporate substantially greater use of national police statistics. The new WHO estimates are available on WHO website:  http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/violence/status_report/2014/data/en/.
Errata: The online version of the report has been updated since its release to remove data on dating violence from Jordan.