198 Childhood polyvictimization, risk and protective factors, and mental health consequences in Ethiopian and Ugandan refugee settings

Abstract OP 28: Mental Health 5, B304 (FCSH), September 4, 2025, 16:00 - 17:00 Background Violence against children and adolescents remains a pervasive health and human rights issue, impacting a large proportion of children globally. Experiencing multiple types of victimization throughout one’s life, referred to as polyvictimization, is associated with even greater harm and more severe mental health outcomes. While the prevalence, risk and protective factors, and consequences of polyvictimization?have been well documented in various settings, including LMICs, there remains a significant knowledge gap regarding the situation in humanitarian contexts, particularly in refugee settings. Objectives We investigated the prevalence, associated risk and protective factors, and the mental health consequences of childhood polyvictimization in refugee settings in Uganda and Ethiopia. Data and Methods We utilized data from the Uganda Humanitarian Violence Against Children and Youth Survey (HVACS) 2022, which included 1,338 females and 927 males, and the Ethiopia HVACS 2024, which comprised 1,937 females and 1,536 males. These were representative, cross-sectional household surveys of females and males aged 13 to 24 years in Uganda’s refugee settlements and Ethiopia’s refugee camps. Results A significantly higher proportion of males (49%) compared to females (30%) in Uganda had experienced polyvictimization, while the rates in Ethiopia were more comparable (33% of males vs. 29% of females). Several risk factors for childhood polyvictimization were identified at the individual level, including having a disability and endorsing intimate partner violence against women, and at the family level, such as having a difficult relationship with one’s father. Conversely, living in a female-headed household was found to be protective against childhood polyvictimization across both settings. Additionally, polyvictimization was significantly associated with higher odds of mental distress, self-harm, and suicidal ideation/attempts among females and males in both Uganda and Ethiopia refugee settings. Conclusion We must prioritize preventive measures alongside response strategies in addressing polyvictimization in these contexts, starting much earlier in the life course.