Between 2015 and 2022, more than 53,000 children and adolescents were murdered in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to a report published in January 2026 by UNICEF and the Pan American Health Organization. Homicide was the leading cause of death among those aged 10 to 19 in the region.
The figure shows a variation by sex between 2021 and 2022: while homicides of males aged 15 to 17 fell from 17.63 to 10.68 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, murders of female adolescents in that range rose from 2.13 to 5.1 per 100,000.
The home as a scene of violence
Another relevant fact is that more than six out of every 10 boys and girls between zero and 14 years old suffer some form of violent discipline in their homes. 46% suffer psychological aggression and 38% suffer physical punishment.
For children with disabilities, the risk is greater: in half of the countries analyzed, the likelihood of receiving physical punishment exceeds that of their peers without disabilities. The report indicates that Honduras, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua have already legally prohibited physical punishment in all settings, although the practice persists.
In Central America, the rate of violent discipline is among the highest in the region, with Honduras among the countries with the worst records.
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Femicide and sexual violence from childhood
The UNICEF document warns that 20.3% of the victims of femicide recorded in 2023 in 11 countries in the region were between 15 and 29 years old. 3.4% were girls under 14.
Sexual violence affects between 1% and 25% of young women, depending on the country. In the Andean region, 28% of women have experienced intimate partner violence, and nearly 20% of women across the entire region reported having been victims of sexual violence before turning 18.
Child abuse represents a serious violation of children’s rights and demands urgent institutional attention, prevention, and response. –
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Unaccompanied adolescent migrant girls face the highest levels of exposure, with risks of assault and trafficking by criminal groups during transit.
Gangs and weapons: recruitment from the age of six
Organized crime recruits minors as young as 10, although the report documents cases starting at six or seven, with roles that become more severe as they get older.
Access to firearms, social inequalities, and gender norms are the factors that UNICEF and PAHO identify as drivers of lethal violence in some areas of Central America.
The subregion has a “Roadmap for Preventing the Illicit Trafficking and Proliferation of Arms,” but both organizations warn that its implementation remains insufficient.
Bullying and digital violence
One in four students in the region suffers from bullying. In Central America, the figure reaches 22.8%. Sexual harassment within schools affects males more, at 15.3%, than females, at 10.8%, according to the report.
In digital environments, 20.4% of young people aged 11 to 17 reported having experienced cyberbullying in recent surveys conducted in Argentina, Panama, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. In Uruguay, up to 61% of young people stated they had faced offensive behavior online.
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The use of artificial intelligence to generate fake images, so-called deepfakes, appears in the document as an emerging form of aggression against adolescents.
Central American children of diverse ethnic backgrounds observe their environment, marked by violence, technology, and legislation, with flags of Honduras, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua. (Illustrative Image Infobae)
Programs applied in the region
The report identifies interventions with proven results. In Honduras and El Salvador, the Cure Violence program applies community mediation to interrupt cycles of armed violence.
In El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, values and mindfulness clubs in schools improved student behavior and reduced incidents of violence. Financial support for families also showed effects in reducing juvenile delinquency and improving school retention.
UNICEF and PAHO call on governments to strengthen child protection legislation, expand effective firearm control, and train health, education, police, and social services personnel with trauma-informed approaches. The report was validated during a regional ministerial consultation held in October 2025.
