Suffer the children

There are 18.5 million children those younger

than 18 in SA. Here are some of the facts and
gures contained in the Child Gauge 2014:
3.54 million children (about 19%) are
orphaned
23% of children do not live with either of
their biological parents
0.5% of children live in child-headed
households
56% of SAs children live below the poverty
line (in a household with a per capita income
of below R635 per month)
In 2012, 3.6 million children lived in
overcrowded households thats 19% of the
child population
60 000 women and children in SA are
victims of intimate-partner violence every
month
At least 1.1 million young children (22% of
the population) are likely to be exposed to
intimate-partner violence, that is, abuse by a
family member
In 2012, child victims accounted for 40% of
all sexual offences
In 2009, 1 018 children were murdered and
45% of these murders occurred in the
context of child abuse
Between 35% and 45% of children have
witnessed violence against their mothers
In 2012, the National School Violence Study
found that one in ve high school pupils had
reported experiencing violence at school
57% of caregivers reported smacking their
children
Sources: The Childrens Institute at UCT,
the National School Violence Study and Stats SA

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