Nine out of 10 incidents of child abuse go unreported
One in two children in Greece aged 11 to 16 falls victim to physical abuse either from family members or their guardians, although some evidence suggests this statistic may even be as high as 76 percent of children in this age group, according to data published as part of the first national program for the prevention of physical abuse, which is supported by the ELIZA Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.
Even more shocking is that 90 percent of all instances of abuse are never reported, and that one in five instances are of a sexual nature. Early prevention is key to saving a child from abuse, especially those under the age of 4, who are at the greatest risk of losing their life due to it.
There are also troubling signs that child abuse is increasing. In recent years, the number of calls made to the Smile of the Child charity’s physical abuse hotline (1056) has increased. In 2015, the hotline received 919 calls, compared to 527 in 2009.
