Violence against children contributes to a wide range of health issues such as alcohol and drug abuse, mental disorders and sexually transmitted infections and costs Fiji over $19 million in healthcare expenses annually.
According to a United Nations report titled Economic Costs of Violence Against Children in Fiji, for males, physical violence is linked to 11.27 percent of drug use and 13.52 percent of alcohol abuse; emotional violence is linked to 18.08 percent of mental disorders, 18.99 percent of interpersonal violence, and 9.86 percent of alcohol abuse, while sexual violence contributes to 14.18 percent of sexually transmitted infections and 11.73 percent of mental disorders.
For females, physical violence is associated with 8.52 percent of drug use, 15.25 percent of STIs, and 10.13 percent of mental disorders, while sexual violence contributes to 13.58 percent of mental disorders and 12.37 percent of self-harm.
Emotional violence is particularly damaging, linked to 16.25 percent of mental disorders and 13.21 percent of self-harm in females.
It has also been highlighted that violence against children is responsible for 14.14 percent of all injuries, 3.63 percent of cases of non-communicable diseases, and 1.87 percent of cases of infectious and parasitic diseases in Fiji.
The report stresses that by addressing the root causes of violence and implementing preventative measures, Fiji can not only safeguard its children but also significantly reduce healthcare costs.
