WHO warns parents that teenage girls face alarming rates of intimate partner violence

Almost a quarter (24%), or nearly 19 million Teenagers that have maintained a Relationship will have suffered physical violence by their partner before they turned 20, according to the results of a new analysis of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Domestic violence can have devastating effects on the health of Young, their educational level, future relationships and life prospects. From a health perspective, it increases the likelihood of injuries, depression, anxiety disorders, unplanned pregnanciessexually transmitted infections and many other physical and psychological conditions.

The study starts from existing data to offer, for the first time, a detailed analysis of the prevalence of physical violence by the couple between Girls aged 15 to 19 who have had relationships. It also highlights broader social, economic and cultural factors that increase the risks.

While violence against Teenagers Although it occurs everywhere, the authors point to considerable differences in prevalence. According to WHO estimates, the most affected regions are Oceania (47%) and central sub-Saharan Africa (40%), for example, while the lowest rates are found in central Europe (10%) and central Asia (11%). The range is also wide from one country to another: from an estimated 6% of adolescents subjected to this type of violence in the least affected countries, to 49% in the most affected countries. the highest rates.

The new analysis revealed that Domestic violence against adolescent girls It is more common in low-income countries and regions, in places with fewer girls in secondary school and where girls have weaker legal property and inheritance rights compared to men. Child marriage (before the age of 18) considerably increases the risks, since the age difference in marriage generates power imbalances, economic dependence and social isolation, all of which increase the likelihood of abuse.

The study also highlights the urgent need to strengthen support services and early prevention measures tailored to adolescents, along with measures to promote agency and the rights of women and girlsfrom school-based programs that educate both boys and girls about healthy relationships and violence prevention, to legal protections and economic empowerment. Because many adolescent girls lack financial resources of their own, they may face particular challenges when leaving an abusive relationship.

Currently, no country is on the right track to Eliminate violence against women and girls by the Sustainable Development Goals deadline of 2030. Ending child marriage – which affects 1 in 5 girls worldwide – and expanding girls’ access to secondary education will be key factors in reducing intimate partner violence against adolescent girls.

The OMS provides support to countries to quantify and address violence against women, particularly in its efforts to strengthen prevention and response in the health care sector. New WHO guidelines on preventing child marriage are expected to be published in late 2024.