Witnessing intimate partner violence and child maltreatment in Ugandan children: a cross-sectional survey

Abstract

ObjectivesExisting evidence, mainly from high-income countries, shows children who witness intimate partner violence (IPV) at home are more likely to experience other forms of violence, but very little evidence is available from lower income countries. In this paper we aim to explore whether Ugandan children who witness IPV at home are also more likely to experience other forms of maltreatment, factors associated with witnessing and experiencing violence, and whether any increased risk comes from parents, or others outside the home.DesignA representative cross-sectional survey of primary schools.Participants3427 non-boarding primary school students, aged about 11–14 years.SettingLuwero District, Uganda, 2012.MeasuresExposure to child maltreatment was measured using the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect Child Abuse Screening Tool-Child Institutional, and 2 questions measured witnessing IPV.Results26% of children reported witnessing IPV, but nearly all of these children had also experienced violence themselves. Only 0.6% of boys and 1.6% of girls had witnessed partner violence and not experienced violence. Increased risk of violence was from parents and also from other perpetrators besides parents. Both girls and boys who witnessed and experienced violence had between 1.66 (95% CI 0.96 to 2.87) and 4.50 (95% CI 1.78 to 11.33) times the odds of reporting mental health difficulties, and 3.23 (95% CI 1.99 to 5.24) and 8.12 (95% CI 5.15 to 12.80) times the odds of using physical or sexual violence themselves.ConclusionsIn this sample, witnessing IPV almost never occurred in isolation—almost all children who witnessed partner violence also experienced violence themselves. Our results imply that children in Uganda who are exposed to multiple forms of violence may benefit from intervention to mitigate mental health consequences and reduce use of violence. IPV prevention interventions should be considered to reduce child maltreatment. Large numbers of children also experience maltreatment in homes with no partner violence, highlighting the need for interventions to prevent child maltreatment more broadly.Trial registration numberNCT01678846, results.

Intimate partner violence against women and child maltreatment in a Brazilian birth cohort study: co-occurrence and shared risk factors

“…One study of over 3000 Ugandan adolescents found that the combination of witnessing IPV and BMJ Global Health experiencing violence was associated with outcomes such as mental health problems, but was not associated with demographic characteristics of the household. 20 The second study, including around 300 Ugandan adolescents, found that overlapping IPV and CM was associated with lower caregiver education and SES (socioeconomic status), lower partner attachment and higher mental distress and alcohol use among female caregivers and lower partner attachment as well as attitudes favouring violence against children among male caregivers. 22 No studies of risk factors for IPV and CM among young children were found.…”

“… 21 Participants reporting only IPV or only CM had many similar characteristics, but co-occurrence was particularly likely in the context of non-violent marital conflict and parental drug use. Two school surveys of Ugandan adolescents 20 22 found substantial overlap between IPV and CM (present for about one quarter to one-third of the adolescents), and one survey 22 showed this co-occurrence was associated with lower caregiver education, less emotional attachment in the partner relationship and higher caregiver mental distress and alcohol use. In short, there are very few recent representative studies of the overlap between IPV and CM and possible shared risk factors.…”

A cross-sectional exploratory study of knowledge, attitudes, and practices of emergency health care providers in the assessment of child maltreatment in Maputo, Mozambique

“…CM is closely tied to the social and cultural context. Numerous studies from Africa point towards poor knowledge of what constitutes abuse and accepting attitudes of abusive behaviors in cultures where corporal punishment and other forms of harsh discipline are entrenched in traditions and commonly practiced as main drivers [ 15 – 18 ].CM is also associated with poverty and socioeconomic status [ 8 , 19 , 20 ] and exposure to other forms of violence, namely domestic violence, within the household [ 14 , 21 ]. Due to the normalization of CM, cases are rarely reported and it’s often termed a silent phenomenon [ 4 , 22 – 25 ].…”

Depression, Anxiety, and Suicide Risk Among Ugandan Youth in Vocational Training

“…In Uganda, more than 75% of the population is under 30 years of age, and another 22.5% is between ages 18-30 (Ministry of Health of Uganda, 2017; Uganda Bureau of Statistics, 2017). Youth may face multiple psychosocial stressors, including exposure to physical, emotional, interpersonal, and sexual violence (Devries et al, 2017;Self-Brown et al, 2018;Swahn et al, 2018). Millions of children have been orphaned by the AIDS epidemic and suffer high levels of psychosocial and psychological distress as a result (Atwine et al, 2005).…”