violence against children WORLD REPORT ON - CRIN

7Few countries have information systems tomonitor non-fatal violent injuries, and existingsystems typically record only data on violentinjuries with victims presenting at hospitalemergency departments. Data from those sitescannot be compared directly, given the markeddifferences among and within countries in theavailability and accessibility of emergencymedical services. Furthermore, most studiesdo not report their findings using age categoriesthat comply with the definition of thechild in the (CRC) as a person aged between0 and 18 years.Special studies on youth violence occurringamong 10–29-year olds do, however, providesome insight into the magnitude of theproblem. For instance, it is estimated that foreach of the approximately 200,000 homicidesamong youths aged 10–29 years that occurredin the year 2000, around 20–40 victims ofnon-fatal physical violence received hospitaltreatment. 28 In other words, between 4 and 8million young people are treated in hospitalsfor violence-related injuries each year. As withhomicide, rates of non-fatal violent victimisationare substantially higher among males thanfemales; for instance, in Eldoret, Kenya, therewere 2.6 males for every female victim of violencewho received hospital emergency treatment;in Jamaica, the ratio was 3 males perfemale, and in Norway the ratio was between4 and 5 males per female. 29,30,31Studies on non-fatal physical violence leadingto hospital emergency room treatment showthat, as in the case of homicide, rates increasedramatically during mid-adolescence andearly adulthood. 32 33,34,35 Also as for homicide,violence-related injuries leading to hospitaltreatment are sustained largely in the courseof male-on-male violence, with the majority ofthe perpetrators being friends or acquaintancesof the victim, and a large proportion of victimsand perpetrators having consumed alcoholshortly before or during the violent incident.Unlike homicidal violence, however, the largestproportion of non-fatal violent injuries arenot caused by firearms, but by knives, bluntobjects, fists and feet. 36Violence within adolescent intimateand dating relationshipsIntimate and dating relationships with peersof the opposite sex (and, less frequently, of thesame sex) are part of growing up for many adolescents.The forms the relationships take rangefrom simply spending time together and casualdating to more formal courtship and marriage(for partner violence within early marriage,see the chapter on violence against children inthe home and family). Dating is common inindustrialised countries, whereas other culturaltraditions may prohibit relationships betweenboys and girls before marriage. 37The Global School-Based Student HealthSurvey, conducted with students aged 13 to15, collected information on dating violencebetween 2003 and 2005. Preliminary analysisof the data has shown significant levels ofphysical violence within intimate relationshipsin a wide range of countries. Asked if they hadbeen hit, slapped or hurt on purpose by theirboyfriend or girlfriend in the past 12 months,15% of the girls and 29% of the boys in Jordanresponded ‘yes’. This was also reported by 9%291Violence against children in the community