Peer-reviewed article
Violence against children in Latin America and the Caribbean: What do available data reveal about prevalence and perpetrators?
Karen M. Devries, Katherine G. Merrill, Louise Knight, Sarah Bott, Alessandra Casanova Guedes et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This systematic review analysed data from 72 surveys across 34 Latin American and Caribbean countries to estimate the prevalence of physical, sexual, and emotional violence against children aged 0-19 years. Physical and emotional violence by caregivers affected 30-60% of children and decreased with age, while violence by students ranged from 17-61% for physical violence and 60-92% for emotional violence. Intimate partner violence affected 13-18% of girls aged 15-19 years. The review identified major gaps in available data, particularly for children under 9 years, boys aged 16-19, sexual violence against boys, and violence by authority figures or organised crime.
Key points
- Physical and emotional violence by caregivers is widespread across LAC, affecting 30-60% of children, with higher prevalence in younger age groups
- Student-perpetrated physical violence ranges from 17-61%, declining with age, while emotional violence by students remains constant at 60-92%
- Intimate partner violence affects 13-18% of girls aged 15-19 years in LAC
- Critical data gaps exist for violence against children under 9 years, boys aged 16-19, sexual violence against boys of any age, and violence by authority figures or organised crime groups
- Seventy-two surveys representing 1,449 estimates from 34 countries were included, though data quality and definitions of violence varied across sources
Limitations
The review relies on existing published datasets with varying definitions of violence, methodologies, and quality standards, which limits comparability across countries and time periods. Significant gaps in available data mean the true prevalence of many forms of violence against children in LAC remains unknown, particularly for younger children and violence by certain perpetrators.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe the prevalence of recent physical, sexual, and emotional violence against children 0 - 19 years of age in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) by age, sex, and perpetrator. METHODS: A systematic review and analysis of published literature and large international datasets was conducted. Eligible sources from first record to December 2015 contained age-, sex-, and perpetrator-specific data from LAC. Random effects meta-regressions were performed, adjusting for relevant quality covariates and differences in violence definitions. RESULTS: Seventy-two surveys (2 publications and 70 datasets) met inclusion criteria, representing 1 449 estimates from 34 countries. Prevalence of physical and emotional violence by caregivers ranged from 30% - 60%, and decreased with increasing age. Prevalence of physical violence by students (17% - 61%) declined with age, while emotional violence remained constant (60% - 92%). Prevalence of physical intimate partner violence (IPV) ranged from 13% - 18% for girls aged 15 - 19 years. Few or no eligible past-year estimates were available for any violence against children less than 9 years and boys 16 - 19 years of age; sexual violence against boys (any age) and girls (under 15 years); IPV except for girls aged 15 - 19 years; and violence by authority figures (e.g., teachers) or via gangs/organized crime. CONCLUSION: Past-year physical and emotional violence by caregivers and students is widespread in LAC across all ages in childhood, as is IPV against girls aged 15 - 19 years. Data collection must be expanded in LAC to monitor progress towards the sustainable development goals, develop effective prevention and response strategies, and shed light on violence relating to organized crime/gangs.