Sticks and Stones and Brutal Words: The Violence Against Children in Ethiopia

Summary: Although violence against children is widespread in Ethiopia, it remains largely ignored. The African Child Policy Forum’s 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.

Approximately 99 percent of the children polled in this study said they had encountered violence in their home, school or community.

Physical and humiliating punishment is a violation of children’s fundamental human rights. The issue of violence against children and their entitlement to be protected from it is beginning to receive global attention. This is partly a result of organisations worldwide recognising the universality of human and child rights and the corresponding obligation to respect, protect and realise those rights. In addition, the United Nations (UN) has given the subject considerable weight as it is currently undertaking a global study on violence against children with the goals of:

• raising international visibility of all forms of violence against children;
• creating a better understanding of the causes of the problem and its impact on children, adults and societies;
• assessing existing mechanisms that address violence against children;
• identifying an international action plan to effectively end these abuses.

In light of this, The African Child Policy Forum 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 that explore the:

• 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.

For the purpose of this study, data has been gathered using quantitative and qualitative methodologies and literature review. Different groups of children participated in the study as respondents, including school children, street children, orphans, children in foster institutions and children with disabilities. Parents, teachers, community leaders, representatives of child-focused organisations, as well as judicial and law enforcement officials also participated in the study as respondents. To address the ethical implications of asking children to recall their experiences of sexual violence, only young adults between the ages of 18 and 24, were asked to respond to that part of the study. Overall a total number of 2321 respondents participated, out of which 1873 were children.

More information

Violence against Children in Ethiopia: In Their Words, African Child Policy Forum (2006)