[Editorial] Keeping children and young people safe in all their spaces

A staggering 1·01 billion individuals aged 15 years and older reported being exposed to sexual violence during childhood, according to new analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2023 of the health burden associated with sexual violence against children. Exposure to violence starts early: UNICEF estimates that nearly 400 million children under age 5 years (60% globally) regularly face psychological aggression or physical punishment at home, and by age 18 years one in five girls and one in seven boys have already experienced sexual violence.