KAMPALA, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Ugandan government on Thursday released a damning report showing that violence against children in the country had reached alarming levels.
The report dubbed, "The Uganda Violence Against Children (VAC) Survey" showed that three in four young adults in the country experienced some form of violence during their childhood.
Janat Mukwaya, minister of gender, labor and social development, while issuing the report called for action saying the vice must be stopped.
"This survey brings to light the widespread nature and problem of violence against children in the country," Mukwaya said.
"The findings provide crucial evidence that will help guide the government in our policy and program decisions to better prevent and respond to violence against children across the country in the future," she added.
The survey showed that violence against children occurs at all levels, in homes, schools and communities, among other places.
It also said children who experience violence are more likely to become perpetrators of violence against children themselves in the future, fueling an inter-generational cycle of violence in the decades to come.
"The findings of this survey make it shockingly clear - Ugandan children commonly experience violence, which often harms their development and, in some instances, devastates their lives," said Doreen Mulenga, the UN children's agency UNICEF representative to Uganda.
"This situation must therefore serve as a call to action to all people who influence children across Uganda, especially those responsible for nurturing them, such as parents and teachers, to change their attitudes from tolerating and committing violence against children to rejecting it and holding all of those who perpetrate it accountable."
The survey was conducted by responsible government agencies, civil society, donor agencies and UNICEF.
Uganda is among several countries in the world that have completed data collection for similar VAC Surveys.
