Understanding School-Related Gender-Based Violence

Every child deserves to be safe in school. However, research shows that across the globe students experience unacceptably high rates of school-related physical, sexual and psychological violence. This can include teacher-perpetrated abuse, such as corporal punishment or sexual coercion. It can also include peer-perpetrated abuse, like bullying or discrimination. While school environments can enable violence, they also have a critical role to play in violence prevention and response. Schools can serve as protective spaces for children, acting as an important arena for broader social change to end violence both in and out of the classroom. Read on to learn more about the issue of school-related gender-based violence, and strategies to protect students.

Together for Girls, USAID’s Higher Education Support Network (HESN) and AidData evaluated the national prevalence of SRGBV, and studied the different experiences of boys and girls related to violence, including school absenteeism, the prevalence of different forms of violence, disclosure, and seeking and access to services.

View the country-specific factsheets below for an overview of the findings in Honduras, Malawi, Nigeria, Uganda, and Zambia.

Learn more about the project