A/70/289 cent of girls and 10 per cent of boys had endured sexual violence, but less than 10 per cent of victims had received support from social services. 5 15. The gathering, analysis and dissemination of timely, reliable and disaggregated data on violence against children provide a firm foundation to break the silence around violence, to stimulate public debate and promote change in attitudes and behaviour and mobilize support for initiatives to prevent violence. Moreover, those efforts have helped in ensuring that policymaking and resource allocation are evidence-based and in monitoring progress and evaluating the cost-effectiveness and impact of interventions. With such an approach, nations can gain a holistic view of the incidence and cumulative impact of violence on children and prevention of violence has a genuine chance of succeeding. 16. Data and research is a priority for the Special Representative, who has been closely associated with those national efforts. In that regard, she joined the Government of Cambodia at the end of 2014 in the launch of its comprehensive survey, the first in the East Asia region (see box 5); and in March 2015 she joined the Government of Malawi in the launch of its survey. In both countries, strategic policy agendas were developed based on the survey data. Box 5 Survey of violence against children in Cambodia The survey on violence against children was commissioned by the Government of Cambodia in response to the call for data collection and research at the national level in the United Nations study on violence against children. Promoted in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the survey was conducted by a multisectoral steering committee with representation from line ministries and government agencies. The strong cooperation developed through the committee created an effective infrastructure to enable the survey results to be translated into programmatic actions. The survey adhered to strict ethical guidelines on research involving children, including in relation to seeking parental consent while protecting the confidentiality of participants, and put in place a response plan to offer referral and support to child respondents who might feel upset or unsafe with the interview, or who disclosed situations of violence. The findings highlighted the significant prevalence of violence in childhood, with over 50 per cent of children experiencing at least one form of violence before the age of 18 and incidents of physical, emotional and sexual violence likely to occur multiple times. Parents, caregivers, teachers and other adult family members were often the abusers and most child victims failed to report sexual abuse or seek help from the relevant services. To address the concerns revealed by the survey, the Government committed to putting in place a coordinated response, involving all relevant sectors an d professionals working with children and their families. Core commitments included __________________ 5 15-13244 See United States of America Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, morbidity and mortality weekly report. Available from www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ mm6421a1.htm. 7/25