CROATIACROATIAIn research into the prevalence of various forms of family violence experienced by 1,146 university students, published in 2003, 93.4% reported experiencing physical abuse (from slapping to heavy beating) before the age of 18 years, with 27.2% reporting physical injury (from bruises to fractures). The same questionnaire given to 698 primary and secondary school pupils found that up to 86% reported experiencing physical abuse with injuries in up to 32% of cases.
(Pecnik, N., 2003, Intergenerational transmission of child abuse (in Croatian), Slap: Jastrebarsko)
Research into the experiences of 310 high school students in 10 schools, carried out in 2001, found that 59% had experienced occasional slapping or hitting before the age of 14 years, and 16% had occasionally been spanked or beaten. For 5% of respondents, slapping or hitting was experienced frequently, and 3% experienced frequent spanking and beating.
(Fabijanic, S., Flander, G. B. & Karlovic, A., 2002, Epidemiological study on the prevalence of the child abuse experience among high school students of Sisacko-Moslavacka Zupanija, Zagreb: Centre for Child Protection)