Ana Rodrigo |
Madrid (EFE).- More than half of the victims of child abuse are adolescents and the severity of the cases is increasing, with an increase in notifications of physical abuse and sexual abuse, according to the latest data from the protection services of the autonomous communities.
The Unified Registry of Child Abuse (RUMI), which collects suspicions of violence against minors, records 21,521 cases reported in Spain in 2021, an increase of 37% compared to the previous year when there were 15,688, although it must be taken into account that it was the pandemic period and notifications fell.
On the International Day for the Fight against Child Abuse, child experts consulted by EFE attribute a part of this increase to a greater awareness of society in general and of the victims themselves about the need to report any situation of suspicion of violence, although it is estimated that only 10 percent of cases come to light.
“We must not lose sight of the fact that the figures are only the tip of the iceberg of the real magnitude of the violence suffered by boys and girls, which remains hidden in most cases; We are faced with a huge problem that needs to be addressed forcefully”, asserts Laura Barroso, Political Advocacy technician at the Children’s Platform.
More physical abuse and sexual abuse
More than half of the victims of child abuse are adolescents: of the 21,521 reported cases, 11,759 are directed against minors between the ages of 11 and 17.
Although the most frequent type of violence is negligence (14,300 cases, 42.75%) and emotional violence (10,284, 30.75%), serious notifications are increasing and account for 52% of all cases.
Those of physical abuse increased (5,657 in total), which represent 63% more than in 2020, and especially those of sexual abuse (3,206), which increased by 133.16%.
There are more male victims (11,048) than female (10,473); By age, the largest number of cases are registered in the age group between 11-14 years (6,884 cases), followed by 15 to 17 (4,875), the lowest number occurs in the 4-6 year-old group.
Greater awareness
More reported cases does not have to imply “more abuse, but more has been reported and detected,” highlights the expert from the Children’s Platform.
“In 2020 during the confinement there was a decrease in complaints because the victims could not ask for help, they did not have school or health support to make it visible and that lack of channels increased vulnerability,” he adds. That year, 15,688 notifications were registered.
Regarding the impact among adolescents, Almudena Olaguibel of Unicef, points out that at that age “they can better verbalize what happens to them and thanks to this the necessary mechanisms are put in place.”
“It is also true that it is a stage where there may be more conflicts, or more reasons for the conflict,” says the specialist in child policies.
Olaguibel points out that this registry collects suspicions of mistreatment by professionals who are most in contact with boys and girls, or who have access to these situations: police forces, the health field, the educational sector and social services.
He highlights “the effort that has been made to disseminate the importance of reporting these suspicions” and recalls that the new Law for the Protection of Children and Adolescents from Violence of 2021 (LOPIVI) includes the obligation to report any suspicion, especially for these professionals, together with “the idea that child protection is everyone’s business”.
“It is important to guarantee that every child can ask for help, that there are adapted and safe channels and means so that cases of violence can be reported when they occur, eliminating the obstacles to reporting situations of violence,” claims the expert from the platform. .
In addition, it emphasizes that “the law provides that professionals must receive adequate and quality training for the intervention to take place, but without revictimizing” the minor, together with courts and prosecutors specialized in violence against children, which is still pending implement.
Notifications from social services are the ones that increase the most (from 39.2% to 45.5%), followed by those made by the education system (11.9% in 2020, to 16% in 2021 ).
Regarding nationality, the cases of foreign minors increased (from 2,114 in 2020 to 6,296 in 2021), although the mistreatment of children of Spanish nationality (15,222) continues to be the majority.
Save the Children: one in four children suffers from it
It is estimated that in Spain more than 25% of children have been victims of child abuse by their caregivers, but “in very few cases it is reported while it is happening, around 10%,” Cristina Sanjuan told EFE. Save the Children’s expert in preventing violence against children.
“The cycle of violence can be broken, but we must act from prevention and the effective implementation of the law and its measures is crucial, such as tools for families in positive parenting, education of minors in their rights and in how to ask for help, or specialized training for professionals who work with children”, he concluded.