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Child Abuse Underreported in Latin America; Among those who know about physical abuse, 3 in 10 say authorities notified.

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Byline: Cynthia English and Johanna Godoy

Synopsis: Gallup surveys in Latin America and the Caribbean find a median of about one in five residents say they know of a child who has been beaten or physically mistreated by a family member in the past 30 days; a median of 68% of these respondents say this abuse was not reported.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Forty million children younger than 15 are victims of violence, abuse, and neglect in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to a 2006 UNICEF report. Much of this violence takes place in the home, but Gallup surveys in the region show most adults who know of a child who was beaten or physically mistreated by a family member in the past month say this incident went unreported.

A median of 19% of residents in the 18 Latin American and Caribbean countries surveyed in 2009 say they personally know of a child who was physically abused by a family member in the past 30 days. Among those aware of a specific case of abuse, a median of 30% say it was reported. The number of residents saying they have personal knowledge varies widely across the region, as does the number saying they or someone they know reported the case.

Mistreatment of children is not limited to physical violence. UNICEF estimates more than half of the children in the region are victims of emotional, physical, or sexual abuse. Gallup finds a median of 23% of respondents report knowledge of verbal or emotional abuse toward children by family members, which is slightly higher than the median who report knowing about instances of physical abuse. More than one in three say they know of a child who was verbally or emotionally mistreated by a family member in Bolivia (38%), El Salvador (36%), and Guatemala (35%). Brazilians are the least likely to report knowing about such a child, at 11%.

Improving confidence in official institutions and authorities to handle child mistreatment issues could be key to tackling the problem in this region. Less than half of all respondents -- a median of 48% -- express confidence in the ability of such institutions to handle these issues. Venezuelans are the most likely to express confidence in the authorities to handle such issues, while Peruvians...

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