Child abuse

Child abuse is defined as the abuse and neglect of children under 18 years of age, and includes all types of physical or psychological abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, negligence and commercial or other exploitation that cause or may cause damage to the health, development or dignity of the child, or endangering their survival, in the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust or power. Exposure to dating violence is also sometimes included among forms of child abuse.


Magnitude of the problem
Child maltreatment is a global problem with serious consequences that can last a lifetime. Despite recent national surveys in several low and middle income countries, data on the current situation in many countries are still lacking.

Child maltreatment is complex and difficult to study. Current estimates vary widely, depending on the country and the research method used. These estimates depend on:

the definitions of child abuse used;
the type of child abuse studied;
the coverage and quality of official statistics;
the coverage and quality of the surveys based on the reports of the victims themselves, the parents or the caregivers.
However, international studies reveal that a quarter of all adults report having suffered physical abuse of children and 1 in 5 women and 1 in 13 men report having suffered sexual abuse in childhood. In addition, many children are subjected to psychological abuse (also called emotional abuse) and victims of neglect.

It is estimated that 41,000 children under the age of 15 die each year due to homicide. This figure underestimates the true magnitude of the problem, given that a significant proportion of deaths due to child abuse are mistakenly attributed to falls, burns, drownings and other causes.

In situations of armed conflict and among refugees, girls are especially vulnerable to violence, exploitation and sexual abuse by combatants, security forces, members of their community, humanitarian workers and others.