WHO Global status report on violence prevention 2014 Released!

The World Health Organization has released the “Global status report on violence prevention 2014” today.

This is the first document of its kind to assess national efforts to address interpersonal violence, and is jointly published by the WHO, UNDP and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.

The document addresses all forms of interpersonal violence- child maltreatment, youth violence, intimate partner and sexual violence, and elder abuse.

It assesses the extent to which countries have been implementing the recommendations of the World report on violence and health (2002).

Key Findings:

One in four children has been physically abused;
one in five girls has been sexually abused;
and one in three women has been a victim of physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence at some point in her lifetime.

However

only one third of the 133 countries surveyed are implementing large-scale initiatives to prevent violence;
just over half the countries are fully enforcing a set of 12 laws generally acknowledged to prevent violence, although 80% of countries have enacted them;
only half of all countries have services in place to protect and support victims of violence.

The report evaluates 18 “best buy” violence prevention programmes as well, and reveals that:

one half of countries are implementing school-based programmes to teach children and adolescents “life-skills” such as non-violent conflict resolution;
one half of countries are promoting efforts to change gender norms supportive of violence against women;
one third of countries are putting in place programmes to improve parenting in families at risk of violence;
less than one quarter of countries are developing public information campaigns to prevent elder abuse.

Useful Links:

Infographic (PDF) summarizing key findings:

http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/violence/status_report/2014/1579_VIP_Infographic_lowres_051214.pdf?ua=1

Link to page hosting Full Report and links to other documents/ statistics:

http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/violence/status_report/2014/en/

Link to Country Profiles:

http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/violence/status_report/2014/coutry_profiles/en/

Link to WHO 10 facts on violence prevention:

http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/violence/en/

Link to WHO factsheet on violence against women:

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs239/en/

Link to the World Report on Violence and Health (2002):