Correlates of emotional violence against children in Rwanda: Findings from a cross-sectional national survey.

INTRODUCTION: National data on children affected by violence are critical in preventing violence against children. Rwanda conducted its first cross-sectional national survey on violence against children in 2015. This study used data from the Rwanda Survey to describe the profile of children affected by emotional violence (EV) and to assess factors associated with it in Rwanda. METHODS: A sample of 1,110 children (618 boys and 492 girls) aged 13-17 from the Rwanda Survey was analysed. Weighted descriptive statistics were applied to describe the prevalence of EV and the profile of children affected by it. In addition, factors associated with EV were investigated using logistic regression. RESULTS: Male children were more likely to experience EV than female children. Nine percent (8.87%, 95% CI [6.95-11.25]) of male children versus five percent (5.17%, 95% CI [3.79-7.03]) of female children reported having experienced EV in their lifetime. Seven percent (6.77%, 95% CI [5.15-8.84]) of male children versus four percent of female children (3.97%, 95% CI [2.83-5.54]) reported having experienced EV in the last twelve months before the survey. Fathers and mothers were the top two perpetrators of EV against children. Seventeen percent of male children (17.09%, 95% CI [11.06-25.47]) and 12 percent of female children (11.89%, 95% CI [6.97,19.55]) reported EV by their fathers. Mothers were responsible for nineteen percent (19.25%, 95% CI [12.94-27.65]) of EV reported by male children and eleven percent (10.78%, 95% CI [5.77-19.25]) of EV reported by female children. Female children (OR = 0.48, 95% CI [0.31-0.76]) and children with some trust in people from their communities (OR = 0.47, 95% CI [0.23-0.93]) were less likely to report EV. Factors associated with risk for EV were not attending school (OR = 1.80, 95% CI [1.10-2.92]), living with father only (OR = 2.96, 95% CI [1.21-7.85]), not feeling close to biological parents (OR = 7.18, 95% CI [2.12-24.37]), living in a larger household (OR = 1.81, 95% CI [1.03-3.19]), not having a friend (OR = 2.08, 95% CI [1.02-4.11]), and not feeling safe in the community (OR = 2.56, 95% CI [1.03-6.38]). CONCLUSION: EV against children was pervasive in Rwanda, with parents topping the list of its perpetrators. Children from unsupportive socioeconomic family environments, i.e., children without a close relationship with biological parents, children not attending school, children living with their fathers only, children from larger households of five people and more, children without a friend, and children who reported not feeling safe in their communities, were identified as groups of children vulnerable to emotional violence in Rwanda. A family-centred approach, focusing on positive parenting and protecting vulnerable children, is needed to reduce emotional violence against children and the risk factors associated with it in Rwanda.

Predictors of physical violence against children in Rwanda: findings from a National Cross-Sectional Survey.

BACKGROUND: To address the challenges of limited national data on the prevalence and nature of violence experienced by children, Rwanda conducted, in 2015-2016, the first National Survey on Violence among female and male children and youth aged 13-24 years. To further contribute to these efforts to fill existing data gaps, we used the Rwanda survey data to assess the prevalence and predictors of physical violence (PV) in children aged 13-17. METHODS: A nationally representative sample of 618 male and 492 female children were analysed. Nationally representative weighted descriptive statistics were used to analyse the prevalence of PV self-reported by children, and logistic regression models were applied to investigate its predictors. RESULTS: Sixty percent of all children, including 36.53% of male and 23.38% of female children, reported having experienced any form of PV in their lifetime. Additionally, 21.81% of male children and 12.73% of female children reported experiences of PV within twelve months before the survey date. Older children (OR: 0.53 [0.40-0.72]), female children (OR: 0.43 [0.31-0.58]), and children not attending school (OR: 0.48 [0.31-0.73]) were less likely to be physically abused. However, sexually active children (OR: 1.66 [1.05-2.63]), children in households from the middle wealth quintile (OR: 1.63 [1.08-2.47]), children living in a larger family (OR: 1.55 [1.07-2.26]), and children who reported not feel close to both biological parents (OR: 2.14 [1.31-3.49]) had increased odds of reporting physical violence. CONCLUSION: Higher rates of PV in children attending school were the key finding. There is an urgent need to design and implement particular national interventions to prevent and reduce the incidence of PV in schools in Rwanda. PV was also associated with poor parent-child relations. Parents and other adult caregivers should be sensitised to the consequences of PV on children and be urged to adopt positive parenting practices.