Girls deserve safety before a crisis -

A WHO and UNFPA brief published on 5 October 2026 brings attention to violence during adolescence. Its overview reports that more than one in five ever-married or partnered girls aged 15–19 worldwide have experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence.

The denominator matters. This is a global estimate for girls who have been married or had a partner, not a statement about every adolescent girl or a new Australian prevalence figure. The brief draws on 2023 estimates.

Our response should place responsibility where it belongs: with perpetrators and with institutions responsible for prevention and support. Girls should not have to become experts in danger before adults take their safety seriously.

Schools, youth organisations and service providers can ask practical questions: can young people find a trained person to approach, understand what happens after a disclosure, and access age-appropriate support? Are safeguarding responsibilities clear to staff?

Safety education can expand choices. It should sit alongside efforts to prevent abusive behaviour and make support accessible. It must never turn violence into a test a girl has failed.

Source: WHO/UNFPA, Prevalence of intimate partner violence and non-partner sexual violence against adolescent girls aged 15–19 years: technical brief, 5 October 2026. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/B09912

The safeguarding questions and responsibility framing above are WSDN editorial recommendations.