violence against children WORLD REPORT ON - CRIN

“Violence against children in the home and family is a serious problem in itself and has been stronglyassociated with health risk behaviours later in life… In turn, these behaviours contribute to someof the leading causes of disease and death…. Preventing violence against children in the home andfamily should therefore be a public health priority.”Dr Alexander Butchart, Editorial Board of the UN Secretary-General’s Studyon Violence against Children64Violence against children in the home and familythe violence, the higher this risk. 95,96 Theeffects may also be influenced by how adultsrespond to children if they try to talk aboutwhat they have experienced. Other variableswill include how long the violence has goneon, where it has taken place, and whether thechild is suffering from repeated violence fromthe same person, or whether he or she is being‘re-victimised’ by another perpetrator. 97According to WHO, the negative effects tochildren of living in a violent household aresimilar across culturally and geographicallydiverse settings. Based on studies of women inBangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, Japan, Namibia,Peru, Samoa, Thailand and the United Republicof Tanzania, children living in violenthouseholds (where the mother reported physicalabuse from the father) were more likely tohave behavioural problems such as bed-wetting,nightmares, and excessively aggressivebehaviour or timidity, than those in non-violenthouseholds. 98 The results suggest that exposureto violence in the home is a warning sign fordamage to children, and care services need tofactor this into prevention and response.Consequences overthe longer termA growing body of research shows that violenceperpetrated against children, or the experienceof living in a household where violence againstloved ones is frequently witnessed, can be a significantcontributing factor in adult illness anddeath. Childhood experience of violence hasbeen linked to alcohol and drug abuse, cancer,chronic lung disease, depression, and a numberof other conditions including liver disease,obesity and chronic reproductive health problems.99,100,101 The links may result from harmfulbehaviours adopted as coping mechanismssuch as smoking, drinking, substance abuse,bingeing or other poor dietary habits.Violence against children can also have a lastingimpact on mental health. 102 A study comparingdata from around the world shows thata significant proportion of adult mental disordersare connected to sexual abuse in childhood(see Table 3.1). 103 Although the prevalence ofabuse varied in different regions, the impactsappeared similar, with mental health effectsbeing worse in relation to the period over whichabuse continued and degree of severity.Findings are similar regarding physical punishmentand other degrading forms of treatment.Corporal punishment is a predictor ofdepression, unhappiness and anxiety, and feelingsof hopelessness in children and youth.Even a low frequency of corporal punishmentmay lead to psychological distress in youngpeople. 104,105,106,107 In a group of adolescents inthe Hong Kong Special Administrative Regionof China, those who had been physically punishedin recent months were more likely to consumealcohol, smoke cigarettes, get into fights,be anxious and stressed, and perceive difficultiesin their ability to cope with everyday problems.108 The relationship with poorer mentalhealth continues into adulthood according tostudies in Canada and the USA, which founda higher level of anxiety disorders and alcoholdependence. 109