Three children are killed in South Africa every day - often by caregivers or family members in whose care they were left by their working mothers, trying to earn an income.
The president of the SA Medical Research Council, Glenda Gray, yesterday told parliament's portfolio committee on social development that absent mothers, drug abuse, violent behaviour such as corporal punishment, and mental health problems all contributed to child abuse.
The council told the committee that 1018 children under the age of 18 had been murdered in South Africa in a year - more than double the global average.
Boys are the most likely to be murdered in South Africa: 6.9 for every 100 000 boys, as opposed to 3.9 for every 100 000 girls.
The council asked parliament to order the police to provide statistics on the age of rape and murder victims.
Almost three-quarters of neglected or abused children are below the age of five.
Most of the younger abused children are boys but as the children become older the focus of abuse shifts to girls.
Gray said there was no discernible difference between the child abuse figures for the racial groups.
She said the prevention of child abuse was critical to the development of South Africa.
She said the Medical Research Council had developed a programme to reduce the incidence of child abuse, Skhokho, now being pioneered in 30 Gauteng schools.
It provides guidance for pupils, teachers and parents.
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