This report synthesises learning from an action research project supported by UNICEF Sierra Leone to develop evidence regarding strategies for addressing the problem of school-related gender-based violence (SRGBV).

The education sector needs to know more and do more about violence in schools. Children are exposed to staggering levels of physical, psychological, and sexual violence, perpetrated by teachers, other adults, and students.

This report presents the findings of a research project on school-related gender-based violence (SRGBV) conducted by Overseas Development Institute (ODI) and the Institute for Development (IfD) in partnership with UNICEF Sierra Leone and its partners, Community Initiatives for Rural Development (

This study characterises rates of physical and sexual violence against adolescent girls and compares rates of violence against girls who are enrolled versus unenrolled in school, to contribute to an understanding of the relative risks associated with school attendance.

Children in sub-Saharan African countries face higher exposure to gender-based violence (GBV) compared to their counterparts in other world regions (United Nations Children’s Fund [UNICEF], 2014). When GBV occurs in schools, it severely endangers access to education.

This research, conducted by the Centre for Health Ethics Law and Development (CHELD) sought to assess the level of male engagement by Women’s Rights Organisations (WROs) involved in the campaign against sexual violence in Nigerian tertiary institutions.

The present study considers how school violence and bullying is being addressed in Eastern and Southern Africa within policies and programmes in the region.

Violence against school children is a prevalent global issue. Despite the high prevalence of school violence in Zambia, there is limited research on students with disabilities’ experiences of school violence.

The testimonies collected provide a snapshot into the lived experiences of youth with disabilities, using methodology that empowers them to tell their own stories.

This study characterizes rates of physical and sexual violence against adolescent girls and compares rates of violence against girls who are enrolled versus unenrolled in school, to contribute to an understanding of the relative risks associated with school attendance.