CHILDREN AS VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE - A NATIONAL SURVEY

Objective. The goal of this study was to gain a more comprehensive per spective on the scope, variety, and consequences of child victimizatio n, which has been obscured by a fragmentation into specific problems l ike sexual abuse or kidnapping. Methods. Two thousand children aged 10 to 16 years were interviewed in a national telephone survey of childr en. Results. In the previous year, a quarter of the children had exper ienced a completed victimization, one in eight had experienced an inju ry, and one in a hundred required medical attention as a result. Nonfa mily physical assaults were the most numerous. Contact sexual abuse oc curred to 3.2% of girls and 0.6% of boys. There were also substantial numbers of incidents of attempted kidnappings and violence directed to children's genitals. Conclusion. The victimization of children occurs to a greater extent than has been previously reported and is poorly r epresented in official statistics. Implication. The authors argue for a more comprehensive interest in children's victimization including be tter national statistics about the problem.