Bora, Jayanta Kumar, Saikia, Nandita, and Jatrana, Santosh (2025) Prevalence and risk factors of violence against adolescents: Evidence from the two most populous and socio-economically disadvantaged states of India. Children and Youth Services Review, 179. 108609.

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Abstract

Objectives: Violence against adolescents aged 10–19 has adverse short-term and long-term impacts. Yet, there is a shortage of studies investigating violence against Indian adolescents. This study aimed to investigate the magnitude of violence against adolescents in India's two most populous and socio-economically disadvantaged states, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. It also identified the risk factors of violence against adolescents. Data and method. We used state-level representative data, viz. “Understanding the Lives of Adolescents and Young Adults” (UDAYA) survey program data was conducted with a sample of 10,141 adolescents in Uttar Pradesh and 10,433 adolescents in Bihar in 2015–2016. Violence against adolescents was defined as “Physically hurt by parents (for boys and girls) or by husbands (in case of married girls)” and “Emotional violence by husbands to the married girls.” We used univariate, bivariate, and logistic regression analyses in this study. Findings. An estimated 38.9% of the adolescents reported lifetime physical violence by parents whereas 29.4% and 37% of the married adolescent girls reported emotional and physical violence by their husbands. Overall, married adolescent girls are exposed to the highest level of violence. In multivariate analysis, we identified about 11 risk factors, including potentially modifiable factors linked to income, education, and substance use. The likelihood of exposure to any type of violence is higher among adolescents with no education, low maternal education, from the poorest wealth quintile, and from deprived castes. Exposure to violence was positively associated with respondents’ and their parents’ substance use status. While there is no significant difference in physical violence by parents in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, married girls’ adolescents’ emotional and physical violence is substantially higher in Bihar compared to Uttar Pradesh. Higher rates of spousal violence in Bihar may be linked to contextual factors such as higher prevalence of early marriage, lower female education, rural residence, and increased parental substance use, as shown in our multivariate analysis. This highlights regional differences and their underlying causes, providing targeted policy insights for violence prevention and adolescent well-being in India's most vulnerable areas. Conclusions: Violence against adolescents is pervasive in our study area, particularly among married adolescents girls. Adolescents with deprived backgrounds, such as low-income, deprived castes, and substance consumers, carry double the burden of violence exposure. This study offers a unique comparison of adolescents at the state level in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh—India's two most populous and socioeconomically disadvantaged states. Unlike previous research, which often treats adolescents as a uniform group or narrowly focuses on adult women, this study breaks down data by age, gender, and marital status, identifies modifiable risk factors (such as education and substance use), and reveals important state-level differences. It provides detailed evidence to support targeted regional interventions and policies aimed at protecting adolescents. Any intervention to minimize violence should include both adolescents and their parents.

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