Sticks, stones and brutal words: The Violence Against Children in Ethiopia

Although violence against children is widespread in Ethiopia, it remains largely ignored. The African Child Policy Forum (ACPF) examines why, despite instruments to protect them, children experience violence in the home, at school and in the community, and how we can better protect our children in the future. The ACPF, in collaboration with Save the Children Sweden, conducted this study to generate national information on violence against children. It will act as a contribution to the global UN study on violence against children. It targeted Addis Ababa and the regional states of Oromia, Amhara, Tigray and the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Regional State (SNNPRS).

The research focused on physical, psychological and sexual violence against children at home, in schools and in the community. The document is divided into several chapters, each dealing with a particular main topic:

• policy and legal framework and its implementation;
• public’s perception and children’s perception of violence against them;
• type, prevalence and magnitude of violence;
• perpetrators;
• causes and effects of violence against children;
• existing interventions and good practices that prevent and address the problem.