Almost a quarter of girls aged 15 to 19 have suffered violence at the hands of their male partner, according to a new Lancet study
The research used information from a WHO database and included women between the ages of 15 and 49, which covers 90% of women worldwide.
Levels of abuse differed across different countries and socioeconomic classes.
Author of the study Claudia Garcia-Moreno says prevelance is much higher in lower and middle income areas.
The evidence shows abuse often starts early, with 24 per cent of those surveyed having experienced violence before they were 20.
Ms Garcia-Moreno says there's "growing evidence" school based interventions are working.
"For both boys and girls [these interventions] address issues around relationships, consent, respect and social norms that allow the acceptability of these forms of violence."
