One in 10 girls across the world have been raped or sexually assaulted by the age of 20, says a United Nations report.
According to the report, about 120 million girls in the world, with higher rates in sub-Saharan Africa, were forced to have intercourse or take part in other sexual acts.
In the report, Unicef said a total of 95,000 children and teenagers, mostly from Latin America and the Caribbean, were murdered in 2012.
It notes that children around the globe are regularly exposed to violence, including bullying.
Drawing on data from 190 countries, the report said the most common perpetrators of sexual violence against girls under 18 are current or former husbands, boyfriends and partners.
The violence cuts across boundaries of age, geography, religion, ethnicity and income brackets, Unicef executive director Anthony Lake said.
“It occurs in places where children should be safe - their homes, schools and communities.
“Increasingly, it happens over the internet, and it is perpetrated by family members and teachers, neighbours and strangers, and other children.’’
The study revealed that about six out of 10 children aged between two and 14 were subjected to physical punishment from their carers on a regular basis.
One in every three girls, aged between 15 and 19 years, had been victims of emotional, physical or sexual violence committed by their husbands or partners, the report said.
