Low-cost parenting app reduces sexual violence against adolescent girls by more than half, Oxford study finds
A digital parenting programme has reduced sexual violence and exploitation among adolescent girls in Tanzania by more than half, according to new research led by the University’s Department of Social Policy and Intervention. A separate study suggests the programme could also deliver substantial savings to health services, offering a potentially affordable way to prevent violence against children.
Significant reductions in sexual violence and exploitation
Findings published in The Lancet provide important evidence that digital support for parents and caregivers can help protect children from violence, while offering a model that could be delivered at scale in low-resource settings.
In a trial involving nearly 2,400 adolescents and their caregivers in Tanzania, girls whose families received the programme, known as ParentApp, reported significantly lower rates of sexual violence and exploitation than those in the comparison group.
The study found that those receiving ParentApp reported 67% lower rates of sexual violence in the preceding year. Rates of sexual exploitation in the preceding month were also 54% lower.
The findings come as 129 governments prepare to discuss approaches to tackling violence against children at a Global Ministerial Conference on 16-19 November 2026.
Supporting families to prevent violence
Developed from the WHO-UNICEF Parenting for Lifelong Health programme, ParentApp provides practical guidance to parents and caregivers through 12 smartphone modules delivered offline in Kiswahili.
The programme covers parenting skills and strategies to help protect children from violence, including sexual abuse and exploitation.
The trial, conducted in the Mwanza region of Tanzania, involved families with children aged 10 to 17 across 80 urban and rural neighbourhoods. Neighbourhoods were randomly allocated to receive either ParentApp or a comparison app providing information about water safety.
All participating families received a low-cost smartphone and an introductory session. Families using ParentApp were also offered facilitated WhatsApp support groups.
Researchers followed participants for 18 months, with 76% of participating families completing all 12 modules.
Alongside the substantial reductions in sexual violence reported by girls, the researchers identified wider benefits for children and families.
Adolescents reported an 8% reduction in physical and verbal abuse and neglect, while caregivers reported a 13% reduction. Both adolescents and caregivers also reported fewer symptoms of depression, and caregivers reported less violence from partners.
The programme was associated with a 14% reduction in adolescents' exposure to situations that could increase their risk of sexual violence.
Although reductions in sexual violence among boys were not statistically significant, the findings suggest that digital parenting support can improve several aspects of family wellbeing.
“We are the first generation to have solutions that prevent childhood sexual violence. Parents can now have the tools needed to protect their children. With 133 million children victimised globally each year, scaling these solutions is an urgent priority.”
A potentially affordable approach to prevention
Researchers estimated that the programme could cost approximately US$6 per family when delivered at scale, increasing to around US$10 if smartphones were provided to one in five families.
By comparison, traditional in-person delivery was estimated to cost approximately US$120 per family.
A separate economic analysis, published in Social Science & Medicine, also estimated potential health service savings of US$16 for every US$1 invested in the programme, reflecting the financial benefits that could arise from preventing violence and its consequences.
Dr Abigail Ornellas, lead author of the economic study and Senior Manager at the Global Parenting Initiative at the University of Cape Town, said:
'Governments spend immense resources responding to the aftermath of child abuse. Our findings demonstrate that primary prevention is fully feasible and cost-effective. Reaching families early with digital parenting support, stops violence before it occurs, providing a transformative path forward for global health policy.'
Implications for protecting children worldwide
Sexual violence against children remains a major global challenge, with an estimated one in five girls and one in seven boys experiencing sexual violence during childhood.
The findings suggest that accessible digital interventions could help governments extend parenting support to families who may otherwise be difficult or expensive to reach.
Several countries, including Tanzania, South Africa, Malaysia, Mexico and Panama, are planning to introduce the programme in the coming months.
Sheema SenGupta, UNICEF Director of Child Protection and Migration, said:
'To prevent violence, Governments need interventions that are effective, cost-efficient and capable of reaching families at scale. This study provides important evidence to inform those decisions, while reinforcing that parenting support must form part of a broader child protection approach encompassing prevention and response.'
The research was led by the University of Oxford, the University of Cape Town, Tanzania's National Institute for Medical Research, Parenting for Lifelong Health and international partners.
The trial was funded by UK Research and Innovation's Global Challenges Research Fund, the Oak Foundation, the LEGO Foundation, the European Research Council and an anonymous family foundation.
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