Findings expose pervasive abuse and call for stronger child-protection responses in humanitarian settings

January 15, ADDIS ABABA– The second-ever Violence Against Children Survey to take place exclusively in a humanitarian setting reveals that one in three young women and one in five young men aged between 18 and 24 experienced some form of violence before age 18. The Survey was conducted by the Baobab Research Programme Consortium (RPC) between December 2023 and April 2024, covering 20 of Ethiopia’s 23 camps, with the goal of enhancing the well-being of children and adolescents in refugee settings in Ethiopia by providing population-based data that can inform prevention and protection interventions as well as law enforcement in these contexts.

“The numbers in this landmark study are a call to action for all stakeholders- government, implementing partners, and the international community- to intensify protection efforts, bolster survivor services, and break the cycles of violence that threaten the future of refugee children in Ethiopia,” said Dr. Chi-Chi Undie, Research Director, Baobab RPC.

The Survey shows that violence against children across refugee settlements in Ethiopia is common, the perpetrators are mostly people known to the survivors, and a smaller proportion of violence survivors seek care despite its impact on their health and well-being. The key findings include:

1. Violence against children is common- About one in three females (31.9%) and one in four males (26.4%) aged 18-24 experienced any violence before age 18, with physical violence most common at nearly one in five (24.4%) for both genders. Among 13-17-year-olds, about one-third of females (30.5%) and over one-third of males (36.6%) faced any violence in the past 12 months. Sexual violence affected 13.9% of females and 2.2% of males before age 18.
2. Perpetrators were mostly people known to the victims- Across both age groups, perpetrators of violence against children were mostly people that they knew, including parents or adult relatives, adults in the community, an intimate partner, classmates/schoolmates, or friends. For instance, Intimate partners and boyfriends (previous or current) were the main perpetrators of females’ first childhood sexual violence incidents.
3. Low disclosure and service-seeking– Only half (50%) of females and fewer than one in ten (6.5%) of male survivors of sexual violence disclosed childhood sexual violence; even fewer survivors disclosed their experience of physical violence. Service gaps persist as only one in four (24.1%) of females and one in three (39.2%) of males sought help for sexual violence, with even lower receipt rates. HIV testing post-sexual violence was low (39.2% recent female survivors and 21.4% of male survivors tested for HIV).
4. Health and social impacts- Children who experienced violence (sexual, physical, or emotional) were more likely to experience mental health problems, including mental distress, intentional self-harm, or thoughts of suicide, compared to children who did not experience violence. Females who experienced sexual violence before age 18 were more likely to report symptoms or a diagnosis of an STI compared to those who did not experience sexual violence in childhood. Female children aged 13–17 who experienced sexual violence were more likely to report missing school compared to males who experienced sexual violence. In addition, children who experienced violence in childhood were more likely to perpetrate violence across age groups and genders.
5. High endorsement of traditional gender norms: there were high levels of endorsement of traditional norms about gender, sexual behavior, and wife-beating (intimate partner violence) among children and young people of both genders and across age groups in the refugee camps.

“The 2024 Ethiopia HVACS reveals devastating impacts on education and the future of refugee youth, including school dropouts, thereby undermining learning and future economic opportunities. Compounding this, adolescents witnessing violence at home face a higher risk of sexual or physical violence, and young adults who endure childhood physical violence are far more likely to perpetrate it themselves. This leads to the propagation of a dangerous cycle of intergenerational violence, which demands urgent response through targeted interventions,” said Mr. Mulualem Desta, the Deputy Director- General, Refugees and Returnees Services (RRS). “Using the HVACS data to inform our efforts, as the Government of Ethiopia, we are ready to lead the charge to protect every child under our care and fulfill our promise to end violence by 2030.”

Based on the data, there is an urgent need for prevention programming in refugee contexts, including:

• An emphasis on evidence-based strategies from the INSPIRE framework to prevent and respond to violence in refugee camps. Priority areas include strengthening parent-child relationships through positive discipline.
• Prioritising prevention and response mechanisms by addressing harmful norms such as violence against women and vulnerable groups, and promoting closer parent-child relationships.
• Bolstering psychosocial/ mental health support and STI screening for survivors.

“The evidence is clear: preventing and responding to violence against children in refugee camps requires an integrated approach. By applying INSPIRE-aligned strategies, tackling harmful social norms, strengthening family relationships, and expanding mental health and survivor support services, we can create safer environments for children to thrive—even in crisis,” said Dr. Yohannes Wado, Research Scientist at the African Population and Health Research Center. “The findings are unequivocal: immediate, coordinated action is essential. We call on government agencies, humanitarian partners, donors, and community leaders to invest in evidence-based interventions, expand survivor services, and champion policies that protect every child. The time to act and to end violence against children in Ethiopia’s refugee camps is now.”

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About the Violence Against Children (VAC) Survey:

The Violence Against Children and Youth Surveys (VACS), led by national governments with technical assistance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as part of the Together for Girls partnership, have documented the magnitude and prevalence of physical, emotional, and sexual violence against children in more than 20 low- and middle-income countries, with a view to informing national prevention and response programs.

About the Baobab Research Program Consortium (RPC):

The Baobab RPC is an Africa-based, African-led collaboration working to change the narrative about the possibilities for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) research in refugee settings. Acknowledging that few robust, well-regarded, population-based surveys have been conducted in refugee contexts (due to perceptions that such studies are too challenging to conduct in such locales), the Baobab collaboration is bringing selected, rigorous SRHR surveys into refugee settings in the East and Horn of Africa (EHA), with the goal of generating new evidence to inform context-appropriate programming and policies. Through this work, the consortium is filling critical evidence gaps to reduce inequities in SRHR among vulnerable populations in humanitarian contexts. The consortium included the Population Council Inc., Population Council Kenya and the African Population and Health Research Center.