Treat violence against women and children as interconnected crises, say researchers

ABOUT 7.3 million women have endured violence in their lifetime and for many, the trauma began long before adulthood, with experiences of abuse or neglect before the age of 15.

- NICOLA DANIELS

This is according to the 2025 South African Child Gauge from the UCT Children's Institute, which argues that South Africa must treat violence against women, and children as interconnected crises, to break intergenerational cycles of harm.

“Violence against women (VAW) and violence against children (VAC) are driven by a web of interrelated factors such as childhood trauma, observing violence in the home and community that leads to learned behaviour, all increasing the likelihood for victimisation and for perpetration, and the displacement of aggression,’ said Prof Mathews, of UCT’s Faculty of Health Sciences.