Co-occurrence of Witnessing Intimate Partner Violence against Women and Experiencing Violence in Childhood in Refugee Settlements in Uganda

Background: Intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) and violence against children (VAC) frequently co-occur within the same households. However, little is known about the co-occurrence of witnessing IPVAW and experiencing VAC in humanitarian settings. We examined the prevalence of witnessing IPVAW, and its association with a) experiencing physical and emotional VAC perpetrated by a caregiver; b) experiencing sexual violence by any perpetrator; and c) the endorsement of norms justifying IPVAW among children and young people aged 13-24 years in Uganda refugee settlements. Methods: We analyzed data from the first-ever Ugandan Humanitarian Violence against Children and Youth Survey (HVACS) conducted from March to April 2022, involving 1,338 females and 927 males aged 13-24 years. Analyses used cross-tabulation with a chi-square test and estimation of a multivariate logistic regression model. Results: The prevalence of witnessing IPVAW was higher among males (30.5%) than females (19.0%). For both females and males, witnessing IPVAW was associated with an increased likelihood of reporting experiencing physical (Females: adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 4.1; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.6-6.2 vs Males: AOR 4.1, 95% CI: 1.9-8.2), and emotional VAC perpetrated by a caregiver (Females: AOR 2.8, 95% CI: 1.8-4.4 vs Males: AOR 2.6, 95% CI: 1.3-5.2) compared to those who did not witness IPVAW. Unlike females, witnessing IPVAW among males significantly increased the odds of experiencing sexual violence by any perpetrator for males (AOR= 3.1; 95% CI=2.1-4.7), and endorsing norms justify IPVAW (AOR= 2.9; 95% CI=1.4-5.9) compared to those who never witnessed IPVAW. Conclusion: Coupled with the endorsement of IPVAW, the co-occurrence of IPVAW and caregiver-perpetrated VAC is common among children and young people in refugee settlements in Uganda. These findings underscore the need to synergize gender-based violence and child protection sectors and develop prevention and response programming around intersecting IPVAW and VAC risk factors within homes in refugee settlements and similar settings.