Baseline Brief: Wok Wantaim Lo Mekim Seif Families (Papua New Guinea, 2026)

This briefer summarizes the methodology and key findings of the baseline study for Save the Children’s Wok Wantaim lo Mekim Seif Familis project, which examined violence against children, parenting practices, child wellbeing, and gender norms in East Sepik Province and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. Survey data from 198 caregivers and children revealed that violence against children is widespread and highly normalised, with 94% of children experiencing physical punishment or psychological aggression in the month prior to the survey.

Despite these high levels of violence, most children reported positive relationships with caregivers and strong psychosocial wellbeing, suggesting that violent discipline is widely accepted as part of caregiving. While most caregivers understood positive parenting concepts, few consistently applied them in practice. Gender inequalities were also evident, particularly in caregiver-child relationships and attitudes toward gender roles.

The findings highlight the need for behaviour change approaches that promote non-violent parenting, challenge harmful social norms, strengthen gender equality, and improve child protection systems to create safer environments for children.