AFRICA/NIGERIA - 60% of children are victims of abuse and violence of all kinds

Abuja (Agenzia Fides) - Six out of ten Nigerian children suffer violence of various kinds, and a quarter of girls are raped. The alarm was raised by the study, Violence against children, carried out by the Commission for the people of Nigeria. This is the first of its kind in Nigeria and Africa. According to the document, a parent or an adult relative is usually the author of frequent physical and sexual violence, such as punches, kicks, intentional burns, suffocation or drowning attempts. In addition, one out of ten children is a victim of sexual violence often at the hands of classmates or neighbors. Over 70% of the victims of this violence have suffered more than one incident. The study recommends the government to take steps to change the widespread concept that violence is socially acceptable. About half of the respondents, in fact, believe that women should be subjected to violence to keep the family together. The document also recommends children to denounce the incidents. Less than half of those surveyed had reported to someone that they had been victim of physical abuse, mainly because they believed that it was not a problem. Less than 5% received help. To carry out the study, the Commission interviewed more than 4,000 people between 13 to 24 years of age. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 17/09/2015)