Nearly 400mln young kids violently disciplined at home: UNICEF
AFP | United Nations, United States
The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com
Nearly 400 million children under the age of five -- roughly 60 percent in that age group globally -- experience violent physical or psychological discipline at home, from spanking to insults, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said late Monday.
The new UNICEF estimates reflect data from 100 countries collected from 2010 to 2023, and covers both “physical punishment” and “psychological aggression.”
For UNICEF, psychological abuse can include screaming at a child, or calling them “stupid” or “lazy,” while physical abuse includes shaking, hitting or spanking a child, or any action intended to cause physical pain or discomfort, without injury.
Of those nearly 400 million children, about 330 million of them experience physical punishment, the UN agency said.
And even if more and more countries are banning corporal punishment of children, nearly 500 million children under the age of five are not legally protected against such practices.
Related Posts