Violence exposure among children in Nigeria

INTRODUCTION: There is a paucity of information on the exposure of children to violence in Nigeria. The current study aims, as part of a larger study, to explore the experiece of children to violence in their homes in Nigeria. OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence and pattern of violence exposure of children in Ilorin Nigeria. METHODS: Cross sectional survey of 1,554 secondary school students aged 11-18 years in Ilorin Nigeria using multistage random sampling technique with proportional allocation was done. Respondents completed the ICAST-CH questionnaire which covers childrens’ exposue to violence. Prevalence of violence exposure was computed. RESULTS: 63.4% (994/1554) of respondesnts had witnessed violence at home. Table 1: Pattern of violence exposure at home in the last 12 months Form Frequency Percentage* [Table: see text] CONCLUSIONS: A good number of children in Nigeria might be exposed to violence. There is thus a need for initiative to strengthen family life and control the exposure of children to violence given its potential to cause long standing mental health problems in victims. DISCLOSURE: No significant relationships.