Children around the world are subjected to ‘staggering' levels of physical, sexual and emotional abuse, a major new report has found.

The report, Hidden in Plain Sight, was compiled by UNICEF and uses data from 190 countries. According to UNICEF executive director, Anthony Lake, these are ‘uncomfortable facts - no government or parent will want to see them'.

In relation to sexual violence, the data shows that 120 million girls under the age of 20 - that is one in 10 worldwide - have been raped or forced into other sexual acts.

Among girls aged between 15 and 19 who have ever been married, one-third have been victims of physical, emotional or sexual violence at the hands of their husbands.

Meanwhile, a survey carried out in Switzerland in 2009 of teenagers aged between 15 and 17, found that 22% of girls and 8% of boys had experienced at least one incident of sexual violence.

In relation to bullying, the report found that just over one in three students aged between 13 and 15 worldwide is bullied on a regular basis. Meanwhile, almost one-third of students aged 11-15 in Europe and North America admitted to bullying others.

In relation to murder, one in five cases around the world involve children and teenagers under the age of 20. In 2012, around 95,000 murders involved people under the age of 20.

Among countries in Western Europe and North America, the highest child and teen murder rate is in the US.

The report also looked at violent discipline and found that globally, three in 10 adults believe that physical punishment is necessary to raise children well.

It noted that over 40% of children in Chad, Yemen and Egypt who are aged between just two and 14, are subjected to severe physical punishment, such as being hit on the head or face, or being hit hard and repeatedly.

Meanwhile, the report also highlighted the issue of attitudes towards violence. It revealed that almost half of all girls aged between 15 and 19 - that is 126 million girls - believe that a husband is justified in hitting his wife under certain circumstances.

Furthermore data from 30 countries indicated that as many as seven in 10 girls aged between 15 and 19 who had experienced sexual and/or physical abuse, had never sought any help. In fact, many of them did not believe it was abuse or did not see it as a problem.

Mr Lake insisted that unless the reality of these statistics are confronted, ‘we will never change the mindset that violence against children is normal and permissible. It is neither'.

"Violence against children occurs every day, everywhere. And while it harms individual children the most, it also tears at the fabric of society - undermining stability and progress. But violence against children is not inevitable. It is preventable if we refuse to let violence remain in the shadows.

"The evidence in this report compels us to act - for the sake of those individual children and the future strength of societies around the world," he added.

The full report can be downloaded here