Building the investment Case For Ending Violence Against Children

Children have the right to live free from violence. Ending violence is a commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Yet more than half the world’s children are exposed to some form of violence every year. The impact of this violence is devastating and long-lasting. In addition to the human cost, violence against children imposes significant economic burdens across countries, regardless of income status, region, or cultural context.

The direct and indirect costs of violence arise in different ways. Child victims of violence may not reach their full education and health potential, limiting their future income and productivity. Governments incur direct costs in responding to the impact of violence on the short- and long-term health of its victims. There are substantial costs associated with child protection and justice systems’ responses to providing rehabilitation to victims and enforcing the law against perpetrators. Violence against children also has indirect, long-term costs, as it undermines investments in children’s health, education, and other social sectors.

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