A recent analysis from the World Health Organization (WHO), published today in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, reveals a troubling statistic: nearly a quarter (24%) of adolescent girls who have been in a relationship—equating to around 19 million individuals—will experience physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence by the age of 20. Alarmingly, almost 1 in 6 (16%) have encountered such violence in the past year.

“Intimate partner violence is starting alarmingly early for millions of young women around the world,” said Dr. Pascale Allotey, Director of WHO’s Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research Department. “Given that violence during these critical formative years can cause profound and lasting harms, it needs to be taken more seriously as a public health issue—with a focus on prevention and targeted support.”

The consequences of partner violence are severe, impacting young people's health, educational achievements, future relationships, and overall prospects. Healthwise, it increases the risk of injuries, depression, anxiety disorders, unplanned pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, and numerous other physical and psychological issues.

The study provides a comprehensive analysis of the prevalence of physical and/or sexual partner violence among 15–19-year-old girls who have been in intimate relationships, highlighting the significant social, economic, and cultural factors that heighten their risk. It identifies a stark regional disparity: while Oceania (47%) and central sub-Saharan Africa (40%) have the highest rates, central Europe (10%) and central Asia (11%) report the lowest. Rates vary substantially between countries, ranging from 6% in the least affected regions to 49% in the most affected ones.

The analysis underscores that intimate partner violence is most prevalent in lower-income countries and regions with fewer secondary school opportunities for girls. It also notes that girls in areas with weaker legal rights to property and inheritance are at higher risk. Child marriage, which often results in significant age differences between spouses, further exacerbates these risks by creating power imbalances, economic dependence, and social isolation—all of which increase the likelihood of enduring abuse.

Addressing these issues requires targeted services and support for adolescents. The study emphasizes the need for strengthened support services and prevention measures specifically designed for young people. This includes school-based programs that educate both boys and girls on healthy relationships and violence prevention, alongside legal protections and economic empowerment initiatives. Adolescents, often lacking financial resources, face particular difficulties in escaping abusive relationships.

“The study shows that to end gender-based violence, countries need policies and programs that promote equality for women and girls,” said Dr. Lynnmarie Sardinha, Technical Officer for Violence Against Women Data and Measurement at WHO. “This means ensuring secondary education for all girls, securing gender-equal property rights, and ending harmful practices such as child marriage, which are often rooted in the same inequitable gender norms that perpetuate violence against women and girls.”

Currently, no country is on track to eliminate violence against women and girls by the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal target date. Ending child marriage—affecting 1 in 5 girls globally—and expanding girls' access to secondary education will be crucial for reducing partner violence against adolescent girls.

WHO supports countries in measuring and addressing violence against women, including efforts to enhance prevention and response within the healthcare sector. New WHO guidelines on preventing child marriage are expected by the end of 2024.

The study, titled "Intimate Partner Violence Against Adolescent Girls: Regional and National Prevalence Estimates and Associated Country-Level Factors," examines both lifetime and recent prevalence of physical and/or sexual partner violence against 15-19 year-old girls. It does not cover other types of violence, such as psychological violence, due to the lack of internationally comparable measures.

Data for the study was drawn from WHO’s Global Database on Prevalence of Violence Against Women, published in 2018, which includes data collected between 2000 and 2018 from 161 countries. Bayesian hierarchical modeling methods were employed to generate internationally comparable estimates.

The study was funded by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office through the WHO-UN Women Joint Programme on Strengthening Violence Against Women Data and the United Nations’ Special Programme of Research, Development, and Research Training in Human Reproduction (HRP).