Prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences in sub-Saharan Africa: A multicountry analysis of the Violence Against Children and Youth Surveys (VACS)

As part of a Child Abuse and Neglect Journal special issue on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), this study utilises VACS data to estimate the prevalence of ACEs in five low- and middle-income sub-Saharan African countries, specifically Cote d'Ivoire, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, and Namibia.

This study demonstrates that the majority of the children in countries in sub-Saharan Africa have experienced multiple ACEs in their lifetime. Understanding the extent of the problem will help design early interventions to reduce childhood exposure to ACEs or mitigate the harmful impact of ACEs.

Access the full issue in the Child Abuse and Neglect Journal on ScienceDirect.