Kenya has had significant declines in sexual, physical, and emotional violence against children and youth between the 2010 and 2019 Violence Against Children and Youth Survey (VACS). Since 2010, Kenya has used VACS data to guide prevention of violence as well as HIV and AIDS as part of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The 2019 Kenya VACS, a repeat survey of the 2010 VACS, was led by the Government of Kenya and CDC as part of a partnership with Together for Girls. VACS is a national household survey that measures sexual, physical, and emotional, violence in children and youth ages 13 to 24.
How do the results of 2019 and 2010 VACS compare?
- Childhood sexual violence was 50% lower for females and 66% lower for males in 2019 than in 2010.
- Childhood physical violence was more than 40% lower for females and more than 25% lower for males in 2019 than in 2010.
- Childhood emotional violence was 50% lower for females and more than 80% lower for males in 2019 than in 2010.
Despite this good news, we know that more work remains to be done. Any act of violence is one too many, and recent experiences of violence among youth ages 13 to 17 years old have increased. For VACS, experiences of violence occurring 12 months prior to the survey are defined as recent.
- Recent experiences of unwanted attempted sex for adolescent girls ages 13 to 17 was 3% in 2010 compared to 9% in 2019. Unwanted attempted sex is defined as trying to make the victim have sex against their will (such as through physical force or coercion) but not succeeding.
- Recent experiences of physical violence for adolescent girls ages 13 to 17 was 18% in 2010 compared to 37% in 2019.
Kenya’s Commitment to Prevent Violence
Prior to 2010, nationally representative data on violence experienced by children and youth were not available in Kenya. Since the 2010 VACS, Kenya has introduced policies and programs to prevent violence such as, improving a toll-free helpline to report violence and incorporating violence prevention in national guidelines. Through orphan and vulnerable children (OVC) programs and DREAMS (Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored, Safe) partnership, PEPFAR is also supporting violence prevention among children and youth. These approaches may have contributed to the significant decreases in sexual, physical, and emotional violence for children and youth. Moving forward, Kenya’s 2019-2023 National Prevention and Response Plan on Violence Against Children and a ‘Spot It, Stop It’ awareness campaign will ensure continued commitment to prevent violence against children and youth.
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