UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) said on Tuesday that child abuse and violence were costing countries in East Asia and the Pacific $209 billion a year.

The first costing of child maltreatment in the region revealed that “inaction about violence results in serious economic costs to countries and communities”, a press statement by the Unicef said.

“According to the study, the costs associated with emotional abuse are $65.9 billion, those associated with physical abuse are $39.6 billion, sexual abuse costs about $39.9 billion, neglect costs $32.4 billion, witnessing domestic violence costs $31 billion and death from maltreatment costs an estimated $500 million,” Unicef said in a press release about the study.

The study also found that in lower middle income countries, 35 per cent of males have experienced physical abuse while 22 per cent of females have experienced sexual abuse; in high income countries, 42 per cent of females have experienced emotional abuse and 32 per cent have witnessed domestic violence; 25 per cent of mental disorders among males in low income countries are attributable to physical abuse during childhood; and 31 per cent of mental disorders among females in lower middle income countries are attributable to sexual abuse during childhood.

It also found that the percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) lost due to child maltreatment was the highest in upper middle income countries at 3.45 per cent with the largest part (1.26 per cent) due to emotional abuse.

Additional research in Cambodia found that over 50 per cent of children had experienced at least one form of violence before the age of 18, Unicef said, noting that roughly a quarter of all Cambodian children were emotionally abused and about five per cent saw some form of sexual abuse.

Published in Dawn, June 3rd, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play