In the past year, over 1 billion children experienced physical, sexual, or emotional violence. While that number alone is staggering, so too is the global cost of violence against children which could reach up to $7 trillion. Violence in school and on the way to school occurs almost everywhere but is much more severe in some regions and against some groups. No child can learn when she feels unsafe.
There is a growing body of evidence on what interventions work to prevent violence in and around schools and enhance healthy learning environments. The World Bank’s Safe and Inclusive Schools Initiative aims to ensure all girls and boys have healthy environments and feel safe to learn.
The initiative encompasses four strategic and complementary pillars:
- Operational Mainstreaming to ensure school-based violence prevention is part of education sector plans, in particular in those countries with high prevalence of violence against children.
- Capacity Building through training and resources for Bank staff, government counterparts, and partners.
- Analytics to determine the effectiveness of school violence prevention programs.
- Global Alliances to raise the visibility and importance of school violence prevention and inclusion at the global level using a strong, unified voice.
Last Updated: Jul 12, 2019
