Violence against children is prevalent in Yemen, study

SANA'A, nov. 30 (Saba) - A field study showed that violence against
children is prevalent in Yemen and that many abused child cases
particularly sexually ones are not reported.

The study lately conducted by the Supreme Maternal and Childhood
Council on people aged between 19-24 in four provinces: the Capital
Secretariat, Taiz, Aden and Hodeida, revealed that 94.4 percent of
the surveyed people were subject to violence and abuse in their
childhood.

The study, which was conducted on a sample of 1375 university
students aimed at identifying the size of the phenomenon of violence
against children and diagnosing the reality of it with an analytical
scientific approach based on figures and statistics of already
available cases as well as following up child abuse particularly
sexually and how much abuse spread is according to age group and
social gender.

The firs of its kind study underlined bad consequences resulted due
to violence against children and effects on future lives of
children.


Physical and body harassment came first at 84.4 percent alone or
along with other kinds of violence against children, the study says.

Sexual abuse came second at 42.9 percent from the total surveyed
sample, while negligence came third at 28.10 percent and finally
came psychological violence.

The study says that 6-12 children are the most affected group by
various kinds of abuse when children are in age with which they are
not capable of self defense.

Physical abuse included stick hit at 66.5 percent for boys and 49.4
for girls in addition to kicking, ear sting and pushing to wall.
While sexual abuse included swears scarifying shame as well as
curses as well as liking child to animal at 80 percent in addition
to body touching, unacceptable kissing and rape.

And the psychological violence is manifested by negligence as
well as intense either deliberately or unconsciously, the matter
which affects child behavior and risks child life.

Regarding who exercise violence against children, the study says
that relatives come first and that school and street come second.

The study affirms that violence against children leads to short-term
and long-term consequences including fear in first place at 33
percent, lack of confidence in second place at 31 percent and
feeling guilty in third place at 21 percent.

The study concludes that Violence against children results in many
problems that affect child health and manners.