Violence against children in South Africa: the cost of inaction to society and the economy

Abstract

Despite the extent and magnitude of violence against children in South Africa, political and financial investments to prevent violence against children remain low. A recent costing study investigating the social burden and economic impact of violence against children in South Africa found notable reductions to mental and physical health outcomes in the population if children were prevented from experiencing violence, neglect and witnessing family violence. The results showed, among others, that drug abuse in the entire population could be reduced by up to 14% if sexual violence against children could be prevented, self-harm could be reduced by 23% in the population if children did not experience physical violence, anxiety could be reduced by 10% if children were not emotionally abused, alcohol abuse could be reduced by 14% in women if they did not experience neglect as children, and lastly, interpersonal violence in the population could be reduced by 16% if children did not witness family violence. The study further estimated that the cost of inaction in 2015 amounted to nearly 5% of the country’s gross domestic product. These findings show that preventing children from experiencing and witnessing violence can help to strengthen the health of a nation by ensuring children reach their full potential and drive the country’s economy and growth. The paper further discusses ways in which preventing and ending violence against children may be prioritised in South Africa through, for instance, intersectoral collaboration and improving routine monitoring data, such as through the sustainable development goals.

#Stillnotfound: Missing Children in South Africa

“…However, the authors were not able to ascertain at the time of the writing the reasons why this may be so in the South African context. The literature on violence against children in South Africa has repeatedly shown that African children bear the brunt of violent acts and abuse committed against them whether by family, community members, strangers or their peers (Hsiao et al 2018;Mathews & Benevuti 2014;Optimus Study 2016;Richter et al 2018). Below is a breakdown of the racial distribution of children reported to Missing Children SA: Surprisingly, 'white' or Caucasian children make up the majority of children reported missing.…”

“…The Optimus Study (2016) found that one in five children (19.8%) experienced sexual abuse, one in three (34.4%) experienced physical abuse, one in six (16.1%) reported experiencing emotional abuse, one in eight (12.2%) reported being neglected and one in six (16.9%) reported witnessing violence. In terms of physical and sexual abuse, South African children experience more violence compared to the global average (Hsiao et al 2018;Optimus Study, 2016). In a separate study, Mathews, Govender and Lamb et al (2016) found children were at highest risk of violence:…”

“…The prevalence of violence against children in South Africa is unsettling and points to wider societal issues. For instance, South Africa's child homicide rate is twice the global average and every day 51 cases of child sexual abuse are reported (Hsiao et al 2018;Optimus Study 2016). The Optimus Study (2016) found that one in five children (19.8%) experienced sexual abuse, one in three (34.4%) experienced physical abuse, one in six (16.1%) reported experiencing emotional abuse, one in eight (12.2%) reported being neglected and one in six (16.9%) reported witnessing violence.…”

“…Even within the larger framework of violence against children, the literature is largely silent on the issue of missing children. Seminal works by Mathews and Benevuti (2014) and Hsiao et al (2018) examine the different forms of violence against children, such as sexual and interpersonal violence, neglect and cultural and traditional practices, and their socio-economic and health impacts, but fail to link any of these outcomes to the issue of why children go missing in South Africa. From a survey of available literature (Aronson 2011;Lakha 2012;Rousseau 2015;Sarkin 2015), it appears that prior to trafficking in persons gaining prominence amongst South African academics there wasn't any real attempt to examine the phenomenon of missing children.…”

“…Despite expansive child protection laws, which seem to have had little impact on the prevalence of crimes committed against them and by them, children remain objects of exclusion. Hsiao et al (2018) found that while children were disproportionately affected by high levels of violence, political and financial investment to address this remained low. Much violence against children remains unreported and unrecorded (Optimus Study 2016), due in part to the culture of silence that pervades our society.…”