When the data you have aren’t the data you need: The availability of school-related violence data in low- and middle-income countries

Abstract

Violence in schools—which surveys demonstrate is a challenge across countries—is associated with worse educational and life outcomes. Yet documenting the prevalence of sexual, physical, and psychological violence in schools is just the first piece of data that policymakers and partners need to act effectively against school-related violence. In this study, we review the availability of data on school-related violence from international surveys administered across low- and middle-income countries, as well as national surveys in a sample of countries. We find that most countries lack the data to answer simple questions that policymakers might ask as precursors to taking action against school-related violence, to understand the consequences of violence, or to monitor progress on reducing violence. For example, only one in six countries has data to measure how many children have recently experienced sexual violence from school staff. The gaps in data are biggest for younger children. We provide a dataset of international surveys with school-related violence questions and recommendations to increase the available, actionable data related to school-related violence.