World Vision warns about increasing risks of violence affecting children
- Approximately 90 million children alive today have experienced sexual violence.*
- 650 million girls and women (1 in 5) alive today were subjected to sexual violence as children, including over 370 million (1 in 8) who experienced rape or sexual assault.*
- Close to 550 million children (around 1 in 4) live with mothers who are victims of intimate partner violence.*
- 1.6 billion children regularly face violent punishment at home.**
Press Release, 6 November 2024 - Each year, violence claims the lives of approximately 130,000 children and adolescents worldwide, while over one billion children suffer physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. Factors such as migration, conflict, disasters and displacement contribute to this devastating reality. To address this crisis and seek meaningful solutions, more than 80 countries are gathering for the first-ever Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children, held in Bogota, Colombia, from 7 to 8 November 2024. World Vision will be among the key participants at this significant event, which aims to develop concrete and actionable steps to protect children everywhere.
The child-led event will offer an essential forum for leaders to discuss the extensive consequences of violence against children, which threaten not only their mental and physical well-being but also inflict considerable costs on the global economy and society. It will also focus on developing and implementing effective policies to safeguard children. Additionally, World Vision will host a dedicated event addressing the pressing issues of child marriage and early unions.
“Violence against children, whether physical, emotional, or sexual, is a pervasive issue affecting millions worldwide,” stated Joao Diniz, Regional Leader of World Vision in Latin America and the Caribbean. “The consequences are far-reaching, leading to physical injuries, mental health problems, and long-term trauma. As families and thousands of unaccompanied children flee poverty, insecurity, and hunger, we must ensure that every child, especially those who are internally displaced or migrating, is protected. We must implement public policies that guarantee protection, education, health, and food for every child as the impact of climate disruptions and conflict continues to rise across the region and the world.”
Factors such as natural disasters, conflict, migration and displacement exacerbate vulnerabilities and create new avenues for violence against children. Alarmingly, one in every eight migrants worldwide is a child. Throughout the migration process, these children are disproportionately susceptible to violence, abuse, exploitation, trafficking and detention, particularly if they are unaccompanied or separated from their families. In terms of the displacement crisis, by the end of 2023, the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) due to conflict and violence reached a record high of 75.9 million worldwide, and from those 47.2 million are children.
The situation in Latin America and the Caribbean is particularly dire, with 2.8 million people forcibly displaced in 2023 due to violence and the effects of climate change. Countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and Peru host significant populations of migrants and displaced individuals. For example, in Colombia, two out of every ten migrants are children under 18 years old.
World Vision remains committed to addressing the needs of children affected by violence and displacement and calls for stronger collaboration between government bodies, civil society, and community partners to achieve lasting human transformation and build a world where every child experience Jesus’ promise of life in all its fullness.
* Source: Violence against children widespread, affecting millions globally
** Source: Violent discipline - UNICEF DATA
World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender.
For all media enquires or spokespeople in relation to this story, please contact our media team.
