1 in 5 British girls beaten

2005-03-21 13:30

London - Nearly one in five teenaged British girls has been hit by a boyfriend, while a third have experienced domestic violence at home, a new study published Monday reveals.

The study commissioned by youth magazine Sugar and backed by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) said 16% of teenaged girls have been hit at least once by a boyfriend, while four percent were hit regularly and 15% have been pushed by partners.

Of those who were attacked, more than two thirds remained with their boyfriend.

The survey of 2%nbsp;000 girls, with an average age of 15, showed that six percent of girls said that a boyfriend had forced them to have sex, while 31% said that cheating gave a male partner the right to be aggressive.

At home 33% of teenaged girls said they had experienced some form of domestic abuse, with 20% saying they had been hit by their parents and 11% saying they had seen their parents hit each other.

- AFP