violence against children WORLD REPORT ON - CRIN

same age group. Preliminary data from the Cityof Cape Town and Burden of Disease Unit ofSouth Africa’s Medical Research Council showthat a boy celebrating his 15th birthday in theCape Town informal settlement of Nyangawould have a greater than 1 in 20 chance ofbeing shot dead by the age of 35. 20 Data fromColombia show that a youth celebrating his18th birthday in the Department of Antioquiawould have a greater than 1 in 20 chance ofbeing shot dead by the age of 25. 21Non-fatal physical violenceThe consequences of non-fatal physical violenceoccurring in the community and involvingchildren range from minor to severeinjuries. Severe injuries may require resourceintensiveemergency medical treatment andinpatient care and result in lifelong disabilitiessuch brain damage, paraplegia, or may requireamputation. Additionally, physical fights oftenprecede even more serious forms of violencesuch as homicide.290Violence against children in the communityWitnessing violenceIn addition to those who suffer violence directly, large numbers of children witnessviolence in the communities in which they live (for a discussion on children who witnessdomestic violence see the chapter on violence against children in the home andfamily). A wide range of research has established that children who witness communityviolence are at risk of a variety of psychological, behavioural, and academic problems,as well as difficulty in concentrating, impaired memory, anxious attachments to caregivers,or aggressive behaviour. 22,23,24Much of the pioneering research on children’s exposure to violence in the communityand consequences of such exposure has been carried out in the USA, focusing onurban communities where high levels of violent crime and multiple risk factors arepresent. For example, in a study of 95 ‘high-risk’ boys aged 6–10 in New York City,35% reported witnessing a stabbing, 33% had seen someone shot, 23% had seen a deadbody in their neighbourhood, and 25% had seen someone killed. 25Even when they have not directly witnessed the violence, children can be harmed whenthe victim is someone close to them. In Colombia, a 2001 study of 5,775 children aged12–18 found that 11% of these adolescents reported having had a family member murderedor kidnapped, or receiving a death threat in the past year. This figure doubledfor adolescents residing in Medellin, a city with particularly high levels of gun crime. 26In Jamaica, 60% of 9–17-year-old children reported that a family member had been avictim of violence, and 37% had a family member who had been killed. 27