Violence against children can take many forms and occur in any setting where children spend time. But when violence occurs in the home – a place that should offer safety, comfort and protection – it is especially damaging: It can erode trust between children and their caregivers and leave deep emotional scars and trauma that often carry over into adulthood. Even when children do not directly experience violence themselves at home, but are exposed to it among their caregivers, the impact can be equally harmful.
This data brief comprises updated global estimates and the first-ever regional breakdowns on two indicators of violence against children at home: violent discipline by parents and other caregivers and children’s exposure to intimate partner violence. For the first time, regional data reveal where women and children are most at risk, showing that children’s exposure largely mirrors geographical patterns of partner violence among adolescent girls and women.