Around the world, 193 countries have pledged to eliminate violence against women and girls by 2030, the most common form of which is intimate partner violence (IPV). To verify if progress is being made, we examined trends in prevalence of IPV against women and girls across 21 countries with three or more Demographic and Health Surveys. Additionally, we examine whether trends differ by type, frequency and severity of IPV; and whether changes are concentrated in specific sub-groups of women and girls. We pooled individual-level data from within-country surveys conducted over time and harmonised outcomes to ensure comparability. We estimated weighted crude prevalence ratios and used log binomial regression models to calculate age adjusted risk ratios and predict annual age adjusted prevalence of 12-month physical and/or sexual IPV and severe IPV against women and girls aged 15-49, overall and by age group, education, wealth and place of residence. We used an ordered logit model to estimate the frequency of 12-month physical and/or sexual IPV. We found no consistent cross-country trends over time in IPV prevalence: five countries showed declines, 15 demonstrated mixed directions or no changes, and one a consistent increase. In most countries, levels of frequent or severe IPV changed in the same way as overall prevalence, but four countries with an overall decline showed an increase in the proportion of severe IPV. Changes were not systematically concentrated in younger, wealthier, or more educated women and girls. Progress towards reducing IPV against women and girls cannot be assumed. Overall, less than a quarter of examined countries showed consistent declines over approximately a decade prior to the most recent data collection. Further efforts leveraging evidence-based and locally adapted, scalable interventions and policies are urgently needed to accelerate prevention and to respond to IPV against women and girls. Around the world, 193 countries have pledged to eliminate violence against women and girls by 2030. A recent paper has concluded that prevalence of IPV is declining in low- and middle-income countries, with an average annual rate of change of –0.2% (95% CI –0.4 to – 0.03) ( https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(23)00417-5/fulltext ). However, this recent paper pooled multiple survey datasets from 21 countries, across only two time points, despite more surveys being available, which limits the ability to identify overall trends. In addition, the study does not ensure consistent items are included across surveys. This leaves open the possibility that the declines observed are due to methodological differences between surveys and/or are not consistent within countries. We address many of the methodological concerns raised from the previous analysis, including the standardisation of outcomes, and the inclusion of countries which have at least three measurement points—thus more confidently identifying trends, typically over a decade or longer. This leads us to a different overall conclusion. We find that the global prevalence of physical and/or sexual IPV against women and girls is not systematically declining across countries. Overall, less than a quarter of examined countries showed consistent declines in physical and/or sexual IPV over time, namely in Colombia, Kenya, Philippines, Tanzania, Uganda. Further, we find that in Zambia, Kenya, Nigeria and Zimbabwe, as overall physical IPV prevalence reduces, the proportion of women and girls who experience severe physical IPV increases. Our results suggest that further efforts leveraging evidence-based and scalable interventions and policies are urgently needed to accelerate prevention and response to IPV against women and girls. Second, careful monitoring is also needed to ensure gains are sustained equally across vulnerable groups. Finally, sustaining and strengthening national data collection architecture is critical to enable continued progress towards elimination of IPV against women and girls.

There is considerable spatial variation in sexual violence (SV) against adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) within and across countries; however, the reasons for this remain poorly understood. This study investigated the relative contributions of compositional (individual- and household-level) and contextual (community-level) factors to spatial variations in the risk of SV against AGYW in Namibia. Understanding these dynamics is vital for designing effective prevention strategies. We analysed data from the 2019 Namibia Violence Against Children and Youth Survey, comprising 4211 AGYW aged 13-24 years, across all 14 regions. Bayesian hierarchical logistic regression was employed to model the risk of SV. Spatially structured and unstructured random effects were included, and variance decomposition techniques were applied to quantify the contributions of contextual and compositional influences. Significant spatial clustering of SV was observed. Most of the variance in SV risk was attributable to compositional factors, including perceived community safety (OR = 2.07; 95% CrI: 1.58, 2.72), romantic relationships (OR = 1.39; 95% CrI: 1.11, 1.74), and witnessing domestic violence (OR = 1.37; 95% CrI: 1.10, 1.71). None of the contextual factors examined were statistically significant. However, residual regional heterogeneity suggests possible unmeasured contextual influence. These findings highlight the importance of integrating spatial and multilevel perspectives into violence research. Given that the risk factors were primarily compositional, individual- and household-level interventions may be effective across settings. However, persistent spatial clustering suggests that certain geographic areas may require intensified interventions or additional resources and investigation of potential unmeasured contextual factors.

Almost no evidence exists on effectively delivering school violence prevention interventions at scale. The Good School Toolkit (GST), developed by Uganda-based non-governmental organisation (NGO) Raising Voices, is an effective whole-school violence prevention intervention when delivered by NGO staff. This study aimed to determine whether GST, delivered via a scalable delivery model using Regional Resource Persons (RRPs), is effective in changing teachers' attitudes towards violence and improving perceptions of school operational culture.A pre-post study was conducted in 95 schools across Uganda, randomly selected from 1000 schools implementing GST via RRPs. All schools had the opportunity to implement GST. Teachers participated in cross-sectional baseline (February-April 2022) and endline (September-October 2023) surveys. Primary outcomes were acceptance of physical discipline and markers of school operational culture. We fitted mixed-effects linear regression models to examine changes in outcomes over time and influence of GST exposure.Analyses showed that each unit increase in GST exposure was associated with an increase of 0.59 (95% CI 0.49 to 0.69, p<0.001) in teachers' perception of school operational culture, and 0.12 (95% CI 0.09 to 0.14, p<0.001) in perceptions of staff and student involvement in school operations. Although mean acceptance of physical discipline increased over time (β=0.51, 95% CI 0.27 to 0.76, p<0.001)-likely attributable to changes in schools post-COVID-19-each unit increase in GST exposure corresponded to an attenuation in acceptance by 0.06 (95% CI -0.12 to 0.00, p=0.046). Teachers reporting higher exposure to GST were also less likely to report using past year physical violence (OR=0.92, 95% CI 0.89 to 0.96, p<0.001).This study is the first in the Global South to evaluate a new delivery model for implementing an evidence-based violence prevention intervention at scale. GST delivered via RRPs mitigated an increased acceptance of physical discipline and was associated with improvements in school operational culture and reduced teacher physical violence, highlighting the promise of the RRP delivery model for implementing GST.

Abstract Political violence (the use of force by groups for political motives) adversely affects children and youth, but there is limited rigorous evidence on whether exposure to political violence is associated with a higher risk of subsequent interpersonal violence against adolescents and young adults. We estimate this association with multi-country micro data from nine African countries, merging nationally representative Violence Against Children and Youth Survey (VACS) data with Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) for Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. We find that a one standard deviation increase in past long-term exposure to political violence increases the odds of adolescents and young adults subsequently experiencing emotional violence from family members by 5.5%, physical violence from intimate partners by 3.0%, and sexual violence in poorer households by 16.9%. There was no statistically significant association for past short-term exposure to political violence.

Education is a key social determinant of health and improving access to quality education is Sustainable Development Goal 4. Unfortunately, many children experience violence in and around schools. Although many school-based violence prevention interventions are effective in prevention of violence and improving school climate, they are still not widely implemented globally in the education sector. This may be because it is unclear whether preventing violence at school improves children’s educational outcomes. We aimed to 1) document whether school-based violence prevention interventions measure educational outcomes and describe what these are; and 2) summarise evidence on effect of school violence interventions on educational outcomes. We drew on a larger systematic review of randomised controlled trials of school-based interventions to prevent violence, with searches until June 2025. We screened 188 papers for any papers that also reported on any educational outcomes. We summarised risk of bias and results narratively and visualised intervention effects on educational outcomes on a forest plot. We identified 16 papers reporting on 15 intervention trials. Thirteen of fifteen interventions trialled reduced violence. Six interventions showed an improvement in educational outcomes; four showed mixed results on educational outcomes; five showed no effect. No trials showed a clear and consistent effect of any violence intervention on literacy or numeracy test scores. Five of the six interventions improving educational outcomes were trialled in high income countries. School-based violence prevention interventions can improve some educational outcomes for children in high-income settings. In less well-resourced settings, preventing violence may not be sufficient to improve educational outcomes without other interventions. There is no evidence that violence prevention programmes negatively impact educational outcomes. PROSPERO CRD42023463384.

Experiencing violence in school is a violation of a child’s rights and can increase school absence, affect academic achievement, employment prospects, and later-life health. Effective school-based violence prevention interventions are crucial, however, most are universally targeted. It is less clear if current interventions to prevent violence in schools ensure subgroups of children benefit equitably. We conducted a systematic review. We drew on professional networks and searched Medline, Cochrane Library, Embase, Global Health, PsycINFO, and Web of Science to identify systematic reviews (n = 29) which included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of school-based violence prevention interventions. Reviews conducted searches until December 2023. We screened all included articles within the final review sample to identify all RCTs of universal school-based violence prevention interventions. We examined what sociodemographic characteristics were measured, assessed intervention effectiveness by subgroups, and applied criteria to assess equity. Out of 160 articles of RCTs evaluating violence prevention interventions in schools, we identified 19 articles reporting on 16 trials that reported effects by the following subgroups: sex (n = 16), disability (n = 1), sexuality (n = 1), race/ethnicity (n = 1) and socioeconomic status (n = 1). Subgroup and moderation analysis found mixed results of intervention effectiveness by subgroups, with some evidence of heterogeneity. Most trials of school-based violence prevention interventions do not report whether they are effective for subgroups of minoritised children, or children at higher risk of experiencing violence, and therefore may not contribute to advancing health equity. Ensuring a commitment to equity in the design, delivery, and impact of school-based violence prevention is essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. PROSPERO: CRD42023463384.

Abstract. This study investigated the geospatial patterns and determinants of violence against children and young people in Namibia using data from 5,191 individuals aged 13–24 years, interviewed across 79 constituencies in the 2019 Violence Against Children and Youth Survey. We employed Global Moran’s I and Local Indicators of Spatial Autocorrelation to identify global spatial autocorrelation and hotspots. Ordinary least squares regression was used to identify significant area-level risk factors, whereas Geographically Weighted Regression was used to model local variations. We found significant regional variations in the prevalence of past-year sexual(SV), physical (PV), and emotional violence (EV), with the highest rates observed in constituencies in central and northern Namibia. Global spatial autocorrelation was evident for SV and EV but not for PV, suggesting distinct spatial patterns for each form of violence in the study area.Our findings also revealed notable spatial variations in risk factors, with area-level factors showing strong influences in certain areas, while being less impactful or negligible in others. These findings emphasise the need for geographically targeted interventions and policies to address localised risk factors and reduce violence against children and young people in Namibia.

BACKGROUND:Schools provide a unique opportunity to address multiple forms of violence against adolescents. Yet, few whole-school interventions to comprehensively address physical, sexual and emotional violence against adolescents from multiple perpetrators have been evaluated in the Global South. We report results of a pilot trial of the Good School Toolkit-Secondary (GST-S), an intervention for secondary schools in Uganda. The trial aimed to determine whether criteria for progression to a phase 3 trial were met based on pre-specified implementation and research feasibility criteria. METHODS:We conducted a pilot cluster randomised controlled trial with two arms and parallel assignment. The trial was conducted in eight secondary schools, varying by faith status and urban or rural setting, randomly selected from a list of all eligible registered schools in Kampala and Wakiso Districts. Schools were randomised to control or intervention arms and aware of their allocation. The primary outcome was to determine whether criteria for progression to a phase 3 trial were met based on pre-specified criteria regarding fidelity, acceptability and understanding of GST-S, and research feasibility. Outcomes were measured using cross-sectional baseline and endline surveys among eligible school students and staff, and routine monitoring data collected during implementation. RESULTS:Overall, seven of eight schools agreed to participate in the baseline survey, randomisation and endline survey, with three randomised to the control and four to the intervention group. The endline survey included 837 students (response rate: control, 100%; intervention, 99.4%) and 98 staff (response rate: control, 91.1%; intervention, 95.0%). There were delays to the trial due to Covid-19 and an Ebola outbreak. Despite this, all pre-specified implementation and feasibility criteria were met. The intervention was acceptable and understandable to students and staff, was delivered with fidelity, and the trial demonstrated good research feasibility. CONCLUSIONS:We present the first evidence that it is feasible to deliver a whole-school intervention aiming to address physical, sexual and emotional violence against adolescents from multiple perpetrators including peers, teachers and intimate partners in sub-Saharan Africa. Based on our results, we recommend progression to a phase 3 trial with minor refinements to the research methods and intervention. TRIAL REGISTRATION:Pan African Clinical Trials Registry, PACTR202009826515511, 16/09/20.

Experiencing violence in childhood and adolescence is both common and long-lasting, and associated with poor short- and long-term health and economic outcomes. In the current study, we reviewed evidence from longitudinal studies on the association between violence in childhood and work outcomes to determine the direction and magnitude of the association, explore variations by violence type, identify evidence gaps, and describe the extent of research and findings on mediators. We systematically searched nine databases for longitudinal studies reporting on the association between violence in childhood and work outcomes, and conducted a narrative synthesis. We identified 46 reports of 27 cohorts, with all but one cohort from high-income countries. This review shows that there is strong evidence from high-income countries that violence in childhood is associated with a range of negative work outcomes. Evidence is strongest for official reports of child abuse and neglect, physical violence, bullying, and composite violence measures, but is more mixed for sexual violence. There is less evidence for emotional violence, witnessing violence, neglect, and adolescent intimate partner violence. Associations are similar for men and women. Nine reports conducted mediation analyses, mainly examining educational factors as mediators. Evidence suggests that educational factors may partially mediate the relationship between violence and negative work outcomes. Cognition, mental health, and noncognitive skills may also be mediators. There is a need for data from low- and middle-income countries, and further mediation analyses to help guide efforts to reduce negative consequences of violence.

At present, our understanding of trauma's complexity is underdeveloped, particularly with regard to intergenerational effects. In this paper, we review peer-reviewed literature on parental trauma and child well-being, focusing on mediating factors. We conducted a global systematic review of longitudinal, observational studies assessing mediators between a parent's traumatic exposure and their children's well-being. The primary outcome of the review was quantitative measures of child well-being (physical and psycho-social) assessed when the child was 18 years or under. We considered the following experiences as trauma exposures: intimate partner violence, rape, sexual assault, victimization during violent crime, childhood abuse, and exposure to direct, immediate threats to personal survival during war, political unrest, natural disasters, and sudden, critical injury/illness. Thirty-two studies met our inclusion criteria. The two most common mediator categories were caregiver mental health (n = 13) and parenting behavior (n = 10). Other studies measured aspects of the parent-child relationship (n = 9), maternal stress factors (n = 5), parental physical health (n = 2), and child-level factors (n = 6) as mediators. Almost all included studies (n = 28) detected a mediation effect. The majority of studies (n = 21) cited robust theoretical frameworks to support their mediator and outcome choices. Studies varied in quality, but most used appropriate, formal mediation analyses. Several study designs could be enhanced by methods to improve precision and reduce bias. Currently, there is little consistency in how similar constructs are measured between mediation studies. We did not locate any studies in low-income countries, and few studies examined aspects of family dynamics, physical health, environmental characteristics, or paternal factors.

Few interventions to reduce violence against children in Catholic Church affiliated schools have been tested for effectiveness. We describe learning from formative research on the development of a school-based behavioural intervention aiming to reduce teacher violence and bullying, which originated from and is embedded within Catholic-run primary schools in Zimbabwe. Specifically, we aim to (1) describe and document the process of intervention development and refinement, including efforts to design the Safe Schools Programme to be embedded into existing religious, child protection, and education structures; (2) reflect on the opportunities and challenges of developing a violence prevention intervention for integration within existing education and religious systems; and (3) discuss the implications for scale-up and sustainability of violence prevention interventions. We conducted multi-method research to understand the context of intervention implementation, the acceptability of the intervention, feasibility of the delivery model and to refine both the intervention content and underlying intervention theory of change. This included Theory of Change workshops with all study partners at three time-points, and focus groups, in-depth interviews, participatory workshops at two time-points. Participants in qualitative research included school headteachers, teachers, school staff, priests, students, parents, local government education actors, and child protection NGO staff. Qualitative data were analysed thematically. Findings reveal several challenges facing schools including low motivation of teachers due to high workload and inadequate school-based referral systems for child protection. Views on the acceptability of corporal punishment are polarised with some parents and teachers supporting its use despite the recent ban, presenting an opportunity for the intervention to support teachers move towards alternative discipline. Findings suggest that aligning intervention activities within existing structures within schools and using familiar teaching methods is an effective way to support intervention uptake while addressing concerns about teachers’ workload and intervention acceptability. The intervention was refined in light of the qualitative findings and Theory of Change workshop reflections, which included: additional behaviour change engagement with teachers, an amendment of the school-based referral system, amendment of manual content for children, and streamlining of materials with existing workload. Interventions designed by ‘insiders’ at institutions such as the Catholic Church, have huge potential for implementation at a large scale due to systems and context expertise, pre-established relationships, and alignment with stakeholder priorities. However, such interventions should be mindful of power hierarchies and provide adequate support to equip actors with violence prevention expertise. Future research on violence prevention interventions designed by religious institutions and their implications for future scale-up and sustainability is recommended.

This paper contributes to decolonising ways in which corporal punishment has been understood and represented in Africa, through engaging with the complex views of young Ugandans about corporal punishment in schools. Conceptualising time as non-linear, and violence as a web of power, our analysis of longitudinal, mixed method data traces how physical punishment functioned to maintain the generational order, and as a regulatory practice in schools. While young people adopted critical standpoints against corporal punishment, structural conditions and violence in schools evoked feelings of insecurity, that could generate resistance to change. Our analysis problematises assumptions that legal bans alone will create meaningful change.

Background Few recent studies in Zimbabwe focus on disclosure and reporting of violence against children. Qualitative studies grounded in children's experiences are particularly lacking. Understanding children's perspectives on why they choose to report violence or not, as well as adult perspectives, can encourage disclosure and ensure provision of services to children who experience violence. Objective We aimed to explore Zimbabwean primary-aged children's perspectives on factors affecting informal disclosure and formal reporting of school violence, and the barriers and enablers children face, alongside key perspectives from adults. Participants and Setting: This study took place among children aged 8–12, parents, teachers and other key stakeholders in two Catholic primary schools within Harare (n = 94). Methods Qualitative data was collected in May 2022. Our methods included focus group discussions, interviews, observations and round robin workshops. We analysed transcripts thematically using Nvivo. Results We find children are active agents in deciding about how, when and to whom they will informally disclose or formally report violence to, in some cases even choosing to protect those who receive disclosures. We find that not disclosing can also be an active choice. We also find there is heterogeneity in conceptualising disclosure and reporting, with children having different ideas about what merits reporting, and who violence should be reported to. The severity and frequency of violence may affect how they view certain types of violence being more worthy of reporting than others. Interestingly, boys’ views that girls enjoy certain abuses may also affect willingness to report or intervene. Discussion Our findings suggest the need for greater recognition of children's agency in deciding to report or not. More work should be done to understand and strengthen peer support, and train parents and others who receive disclosures. To increase disclosure, children's perceptions regarding which forms of violence warrant formal reporting should be challenged.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is known to have detrimental effects on persons who directly experience this form of abuse. Emerging research also indicates that a parent’s experience of IPV may influence their children’s well-being through various intermediary pathways. However, there is still no established model to explain these mechanisms. This study is among the few that assess maternal mental health symptoms as potential mediators of the association between maternal IPV and child behavior. Using secondary data from a population-based, cross-sectional survey, we performed logistic regression analyses to assess the impact of lifetime maternal IPV exposure on child behavioral problems (withdrawal or aggression). We then applied generalized structural equation modeling to examine the mediating effects of both maternal depression and anxiety symptoms on this association. Over half (55%; 95% CI [48.3, 60.8]) of mothers had experienced IPV at some point, and 12.5% (95% CI [8.0, 19.1]) of children exhibited behavioral problems. Mothers exposed to IPV were almost three times as likely to report behavioral problems in their children compared to mothers with no history of IPV ( OR = 2.81; 95% CI [1.08, 7.33]). Furthermore, we found that both maternal depressive and anxiety symptoms partially mediated the relationship between maternal IPV exposure and child behavioral problems. These findings suggest that the impact of maternal IPV on child behavioral problems is partially explained by maternal mental health. Reducing IPV and improving maternal mental health through enhanced screening and community-based mental health initiatives may contribute to lowering the prevalence of child behavior problems in Trinidad and Tobago.

Background:Children with disabilities are twice as likely to experience violence compared to peers without disabilities. While evaluations of school-based interventions targeting the prevention of violence against children in schools are growing in number, it is unclear whether these interventions are inclusive of, or effective for, children with disabilities. Methods:We searched six databases (Medline, Cochrane Library, Embase, Global Health, PsycINFO, Web of Science) and utilised professional networks to identify systematic reviews which included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of school-based violence prevention interventions up to May 2024. Once we identified our final sample of systematic reviews (n = 29) we hand searched the included papers within these reviews and included all RCTs of school-based violence prevention interventions. We applied criteria to assess disability inclusion and conducted a narrative synthesis of study characteristics, adaptations to intervention and/or data collection design, and effect estimates. We assessed risk of bias using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. This review was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42023463384). Findings:We identified 160 articles of school-based violence prevention interventions. Of these, 13 articles reporting on 10 trials (8.13%) explicitly mentioned disability: 3/10 trials reported on the magnitude of intervention effects among children with disabilities; 4/10 trials mentioned adaptations to research or intervention design to include children with disabilities; 6/10 trials mentioned disability as part of the sample characteristics but did not report further sub-group analysis. 3 trials were effective in reducing violence in schools for children with disabilities, with risk of bias ranging from 'low' (n = 1) to 'some concerns' (n = 2). Interpretation:Despite growing evidence on how to prevent school violence, there is limited research on the effect of such interventions for children with disabilities. There is a need for future evaluations to stratify effects by disability, conduct disability-inclusive research, and tailor interventions for children with disabilities. Funding:This research was partially funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office under the PENDA project (PO8073).

BACKGROUND:Little academic research has been conducted on how people conceptualise 'violence' and 'discipline', especially in humanitarian settings. This may limit the transferability of violence prevention interventions. This paper examines the understanding of violence and discipline concepts among students, teachers, and parents in the Nyarugusu Refugee Camp in Tanzania.METHODS:A qualitative study was undertaken as part of the larger trial testing the effectiveness of the EmpaTeach intervention to prevent physical violence from teachers to students implemented in 27 schools in Nyarugusu Refugee Camp. Data from baseline and midline surveys in control schools that did not receive the intervention informed this paper where a total of 14 in-depth interviews (eight with students and six teachers) and six focus group discussions (two with teachers and four with parents from the Parent Teacher Association) were analyzed. Both audio recordings from in-depth interviews and focus group discussions were transcribed verbatim, and translated from Kiswahili to English (Congolese) and Kirundi to English (Burundian). Translated data were verified and coded using thematic analysis based on the views of students, teachers, and parents.RESULTS:Participants revealed that the same behavioural acts could be differentially classified as violence or discipline. Violence was understood in relation to the consequences of acts, which could include physical or psychological harm, or other harms which were seen as detrimental to children's futures and life chances, particularly adolescent pregnancy. Sexual acts without consent were also seen as violence. In contrast, discipline was understood according to intent, and perceived acts done towards students to correct bad behaviour.CONCLUSION:Results imply that education about the harmful consequences of behavioural acts intended as discipline, may be important for violence prevention interventions and that framing interventions in terms of positive child development could help change discipline strategies in schools.

We aimed to estimate the impact of poor mental health in early adolescence on subsequent poor mental health, depression, and violence victimisation in late adolescence and to determine whether young people living with disabilities experienced a stronger relationship between mental health and these outcomes. Data from two waves of a longitudinal cohort study of 2773 Ugandan adolescents were used to assess the impact of mental health difficulties in early adolescence (aged 11-14) on presence of subsequent mental health difficulties, depression and past year violence victimisation in later adolescence (aged 15-18). We used g-computation to examine how these outcomes changed dependent on levels of poor mental health in early adolescence and explored functional difficulties as an effect modifier. This study demonstrates high prevalence of mental health difficulties in adolescence. There is a positive association between mental health difficulties in early adolescence and experience of mental health difficulties, depression, and past year violence in later adolescence. The risk of poor outcomes is greater for individuals experiencing poorer mental health in early adolescence. The relationships between early mental health difficulties and both mental health difficulties in later adolescence and past year violence are stronger in young people with functional difficulties. Poor mental health in early adolescence is associated with depression and violence victimisation in later adolescence, and the association is stronger among adolescents living with disabilities. School-aged adolescents would benefit from violence prevention and mental health promotion interventions which are inclusive and engage and respond to the needs and rights of adolescents with disabilities.

There is strong evidence that outside parental care, informal kinship care is the most practiced, sustainable and affordable form of childcare in SSA (sub-Saharan Africa). As a longstanding cultural tradition, informal kinship care embraces childcare as the responsibility of all extended family members, and often the wider community. However, over the past decades, informal kinship care has become gradually strained by political, economic and social conditions, such as: legacies of colonialism, increasing levels of poverty and inequality, instability, or infectious diseases. Drawing on qualitative biographical data from the Contexts of Violence in Adolescence Cohort Study (CoVAC) (2018-2022), we examine and showcase how practices of informal kinship care are perceived and experienced by young people. Doing so, we pay attention to the political, economic and social environment affecting informal kinship care in Uganda. Young people's accounts point to four main features of their experiences of informal kinship care, that relate to: 1) mitigating poverty; 2) ensuring continuation of schooling and/or income generation; 3) generating and navigating family disputes and ruptures; 4) posing and moderating threats to safety and security of children. In analysing young people's narratives, we critically reflect on implications for research and practice to support informal childcare. We argue that informal kinship care remains a vital cultural asset and an important alternative to forms of residential or institutional care in Uganda. This has implications for health, social protection, education programming and policy for children. Culturally sensitive and context-specific approaches, informed by the perspectives and lived experiences of young people, are needed to properly support children and young people in informal kinship care.