Exposure to intimate partner violence against women and its association with experiences and perpetration of violence among children and youth in refugee camps in Ethiopia

Abstract

BACKGROUND: A substantial body of research has established a positive association between exposure to intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) and childhood experiences of violence. However, limited evidence exists on this association in Ethiopia, particularly within humanitarian settings, where children and youth face compounded vulnerabilities. This paper examines the association between witnessing IPVAW during childhood and experiences or perpetration of violence among children and youth aged 13-24 years living in refugee camps in Ethiopia. METHODS: This study draws on data from the 2024 Ethiopian Humanitarian Violence Against Children and Youth Survey (HVACS) of 1,937 females and 1,536 males. It assesses associations between witnessing IPVAW during childhood and experiencing physical or emotional violence by a caregiver, experiencing sexual violence by any perpetrator, and perpetrating physical violence. Analyses included descriptive statistics, cross-tabulations with Pearson's Chi-Square (χ²) tests, and bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models. RESULTS: Among 13-17-year-olds, 29.4% of females and 24.7% of males reported witnessing IPVAW, while among 18-24-year-olds, the prevalence was 27.8% for females and 31.3% for males. For females aged 13-17, witnessing IPVAW was associated with higher odds of experiencing physical (AOR = 3.96), emotional (AOR = 2.51), and sexual violence (AOR = 1.92), and of perpetrating physical violence (AOR = 2.25). Among males in the same age group, witnessing IPVAW was linked to increased odds of experiencing physical (AOR = 2.48) and emotional (AOR = 3.96) violence, but not sexual violence, and of perpetrating physical violence (AOR = 8.98). For females aged 18-24, witnessing IPVAW was associated with elevated odds of experiencing physical (AOR = 6.15), emotional (AOR = 3.01), and sexual (AOR = 3.06) violence, and perpetrating physical violence (AOR = 3.62). Males aged 18-24 who had witnessed IPVAW had notably increased odds of experiencing physical (AOR = 13.68) and emotional (AOR = 6.27) violence, but not sexual violence, and of perpetrating physical violence (AOR = 3.70). CONCLUSIONS: Witnessing IPVAW during childhood was significantly associated with increased odds of experiencing and perpetrating violence across age and gender groups in these refugee camps. These findings underscore the urgent need for coordinated, multisectoral interventions to prevent violence, support survivors, and break the intergenerational cycles of abuse in humanitarian settings.