Violence Against Children in Sub-Saharan Africa
A Scoping Review of Literature on the Victim–Perpetrator Relationship
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19522301 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Francis Barchi (0000-0003-0960-6423, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey), Millan A AbiNader (0000-0002-9609-5061, University of Pennsylvania, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 26 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 817-832 |
| Publication date | 2025-10-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Trauma Violence & Abuse (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1524-8380 • E-ISSN: 1552-8324 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/15248380241291900 |
| PMID | 39480177 |
| OpenAlex | W4403944499 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 58 |
Violence against children affects children in every region, nation, and community in the world. Despite a significant body of literature about the victims of such violence, there has been little empirical research, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, focused on perpetrators, their relationship to victims, and interventions that might alter their behavior. This scoping review sought to identify and summarize the scholarly literature on perpetrators of violence against children in Sub-Saharan Africa and their relationship with victims. Using a keyword search of academic databases, we included peer-reviewed studies published from January 2013 to June 2023 that focused on physical, sexual, or emotional violence against children in Sub-Saharan Africa and included prevalence data about victim–perpetrator relationships. Eighteen of the 42 studies that met eligibility criteria shared one or more primary data sources with other studies included in this review, most frequently using data from Violence Against Children Surveys (10), the Uganda Good Schools Project (7), and the National Child Homicide Study (3). The most common classifications of perpetrators, in order of frequency, were caregivers/family members, intimate partners, peers, teachers/school staff and strangers, and the most common settings in which research took place were schools. Wide variability in the taxonomies used to define and report frequencies for age, victim, perpetrator, and type of violence obscures our ability to form a complete picture of victim–perpetrator relationships. Research emphasis on victims of violence may lead to missed opportunities to disrupt the perpetration of violence against children through interventions that specifically target its source
Criminology · Domestic violence · Environmental health · Homicide · Injury prevention · Poison control · Psychiatry · Psychological intervention · Sexual violence · Suicide prevention · Child Abuse and Trauma · Human Factors and Ergonomics · Intimate Partner and Family Violence · Medicine · Psychology · Sexual Assault and Victimization Studies
Global Prevalence of Past-year Violence Against Children
Who perpetrates violence against children? A systematic analysis of age-specific and sex-specific data
Prevalence and Health Impact of Intimate Partner Violence and Non-partner Sexual Violence Among Female Adolescents Aged 15–19 Years in Vulnerable Urban Environments
Building a Framework for Global Surveillance of the Public Health Implications of Adverse Childhood Experiences
The effect of multiple adverse childhood experiences on health
The world report on violence and health
Referral of sexual violence against children
Perpetration of intimate partner violence and mental health outcomes
Emotional abuse of girls in Swaziland
Prevalence and associated risk factors of violence against conflict–affected female adolescents
What Works to Address Violence Against Children (VAC) in and Around Schools
Programs to Prevent Violence Against Children in Sub-Saharan Africa
Maternal History of Childhood Adversities and Later Negative Parenting
School violence, depression symptoms, and school climate
Circumstances and Consequences of Violence-Related Injuries Presenting at Hospital. A Study at the Pediatric Emergency and Forensic Medicine Units of Maputo Central Hospital, Mozambique
Time to presentation, pattern and immediate health effects of alleged child sexual abuse at two tertiary hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Violence against primary school children with disabilities in Uganda
Violence against children in Latin America and the Caribbean
No place is safe
Sexual Violence Against Female and Male Children in the United Republic of Tanzania
Exploring the Intersection Between Violence Against Women and Children from the Perspective of Parents Convicted of Child Homicide
Physical, emotional and sexual adolescent abuse victimisation in South Africa
| Citations per year | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Highly cited | No |