Abstract
Recent media reports have highlighted incidents of violence and crimes against children and young people in South Africa. Yet, up till now, there has been little exploration of the extent and nature of criminal victimisation against youth. The recent National Youth Victimisation Study reveals that young people are almost twice as likely to be victimised as adults, and that young people are surrounded by violence and crime in all the spheres they occupy: the home, the school and the community.
Highlights
According to recent press reports, in the period between 2004 and 2005, 85,808 crimes were committed against children, of which over 27,000 were sexual offences, and over 1,000 were murders.[1]
Other than the occasional sensationalised report in the media on child rapes and murders or attacks in schools, there is a dearth of accurate data on crimes against children and young people in South Africa
This is an important gap in the literature, as the victimisation of young people can have a tremendous impact on their ability to relate to others and form healthy relationships, their performance at school, as well as their vulnerability to later victimisation as adults.[3]
Summary
According to recent press reports, in the period between 2004 and 2005, 85,808 crimes were committed against children, of which over 27,000 were sexual offences, and over 1,000 were murders.[1] Internationally, victim surveys have shown that children and young people are victimised at a significantly higher rate than adults.[2] Yet, other than the occasional sensationalised report in the media on child rapes and murders or attacks in schools, there is a dearth of accurate data on crimes against children and young people in South Africa.
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