Addressing Intimate Partner Violence Among Adolescent Girls

Intimate Partner Violence Alarmingly High Among Adolescent Girls

A recent WHO analysis reveals that nearly 24% of adolescent girls who have been in a relationship—approximately 19 million—experience physical and/or sexual violence by age 20. In the past year alone, 16% faced such violence.

Early Onset of Partner Violence

Dr. Pascale Allotey, Director of WHO’s Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research Department, emphasizes the profound and lasting harms of violence during critical formative years. This issue must be taken more seriously as a public health priority, focusing on prevention and targeted support.

Health and Life Impacts

Partner violence significantly affects young people’s health, educational achievement, future relationships, and lifelong prospects. It increases the risk of injuries, depression, anxiety disorders, unplanned pregnancies, STIs, and other conditions.

Inequality and Violence

The study provides a detailed analysis of physical and/or sexual partner violence among 15–19-year-old girls and identifies broader social, economic, and cultural factors that increase risks. High rates of violence reflect deeply entrenched inequalities, with significant regional differences. The worst affected regions are Oceania (47%) and central sub-Saharan Africa (40%), while the lowest rates are in central Europe (10%) and central Asia (11%).

Socioeconomic Factors and Child Marriage

Violence is most common in lower-income countries and regions with fewer girls in secondary school and weaker legal property rights for women. Child marriage significantly escalates risks due to power imbalances, economic dependency, and social isolation.

Urgent Need for Targeted Support

The study calls for strengthened support services and early prevention measures tailored for adolescents, along with actions to advance women’s and girls’ agency and rights. This includes school-based programs on healthy relationships and violence prevention, legal protections, and economic empowerment.

Policy and Program Recommendations

Dr. Lynnmarie Sardinha, study author and WHO Technical Officer for Violence Against Women Data and Measurement, highlights the need for policies and programs that increase gender equality, ensure secondary education for all girls, secure gender-equal property rights, and end harmful practices like child marriage.

Global Goals and Future Actions

Currently, no country is on track to eliminate violence against women and girls by the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal target date. Ending child marriage and expanding girls’ access to secondary education are critical for reducing partner violence.

WHO supports countries in measuring and addressing violence against women, with new guidelines on preventing child marriage to be released by the end of 2024.

Source - Adolescent Girls Face Alarming Rates of Intimate Partner Violence