UNICEF has warned that 400 million young children are victims of domestic violence worldwide

UNICEF estimates that six out of ten children under the age of five worldwide experience violent discipline in their homes, UNICEF estimated in a report released this Monday, June 10. This represents 400 million children in this age group. The press release described this violence as manifesting itself in psychological attacks, particularly through shouting or calling the child “stupid” or “lazy”.

Of these children affected by violent discipline, 330 million of them are punished by corporal punishment. Based on data from about a hundred countries collected between 2010 and 2023, blows intended to injure rather than inflict injury, such as slapping or hitting, explain.

One in four believe that corporal punishment is necessary

In 2019, France became the 56th country to ban beating, forty years after Sweden. And many countries are banning corporal punishment. However, UNICEF estimates that there are half a billion children under the age of five without adequate legal protection against this violence. Social norms that support these methods persist.

More than one in four caregivers feel that corporal punishment is necessary in their education. ” When children experience physical or verbal abuse at home, or when they are deprived of the social and emotional attention of loved ones, it can harm their self-esteem and development. », UNICEF Director-General Catherine Russell commented in the statement.

On the occasion of the first International Day of Sports, UNICEF discusses its approach based on data collected in 85 countries. The United Nations reports that four out of ten children between the ages of two and four do not receive enough interaction or stimulation at home. UNICEF estimates that these children can Suffer from feelings of emotional neglect and detachment, insecurity and behavioral problems that persist into adulthood “.