School Violence: Where Are the Interventions?

• Main Authors: Devries, Karen M, Ward, Catherine L, Naker, Dipak, Parkes, Jenny, Bonell, Chris, Bhatia, Amiya, Tanton, Clare, Walakira, Edx, Mudekunye, Lynette A, Alampay, Liane Peña, Naved, Ruchira Tabassum
• Format: text
• Published: Archīum Ateneo 2021
• Subjects: Child Psychology; Civic and Community Engagement; Mental and Social Health; Psychology
• Online Access: https://archium.ateneo.edu/psychology-faculty-pubs/348; https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(21)00329-1/fulltext#%20
• Institution: Ateneo De Manila University

Globally, 1 billion children experience some form of physical, sexual, or emotional violence each year. Most of these children live in low-income and middle-income countries, and much of this violence occurs in and around schools. For the 90% of children who are enrolled in primary school, violence might be even more common in school than at home. About 60% of children aged 6–10 years report recent physical and emotional violence from peers at school, and 46–95% of primary school students experience corporal punishment from teachers, including in countries with legal prohibitions. According to a UNESCO report, sexual violence and harassment are also common, experienced by more than 10% of students in 96 countries. But some groups are at an even higher risk. In Uganda, for example, 20% of primary school girls aged 11–14 years with disabilities, but 10% of primary school girls of the same age without disabilities, reported sexual violence, mainly from peers but also from teachers.