Every 3 days 1 child reports being sexually abused - What happens when you hear a child confess to being abused?

PRESS RELEASE

Athens, 19 November 2024

Every 3 days 1 child reports being sexually abused - What happens when you hear a child confess to being abused?

• 18 November: European Day for the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse
• 19 November: World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse
• 20 November: World Children's Day

In the first 10 months of 2024, the  4 Helplines & Hotlines of "The Smile of the Child" handled 154.192 phone calls - Average waiting time 12 seconds.

Watch a call simulation here: https://youtu.be/WjOnUeSsdLg

A child is calling... You can hear in her/his voice, the fear. Something he/she wants to confide in you.

He/she’s been abused.

The child finds the courage to speak up, to get the help that he/she is so afraid to ask for.

But this is 1 child... 1 child who found the courage, among the thousands of children who are abused every day because... It remains a secret!

Every 3 days 1 child reports being sexually abused.

Every day 2 children report being physically abused.

In order to raise awareness and mobilize Greek society about the ever increasing incidents of child sexual abuse that are actually hardly reported, "The Smile of the Child" and its National Center for Abuse & Exploitation that operates, as part of the campaign “It Remains a Secret” (Menei Mystiko) on the phenomenon of Child Sexual Abuse, has created a simulated call, based on a real story, which it has managed at the National Helpline for Children SOS 1056.

From 1.1.2024 to 31.10.2024 the National Center for Abuse & Exploitation of the Organization administered:

• 119 on-site interventions for 201 children:
  • 13 children involved physical abuse
  • 76 children involved neglect and abandonment

ONLY 4 involved sexual abuse.

• 384 reports to Cybertipline Hellas
  • 139 involved psychological abuse of children
  • 80 involved physical abuse of children
  • 67 involved neglect and abandonment of children

ONLY 16 involved sexual abuse.

Child sexual abuse remains a secret!

In the first 10 months of 2024 the 4 Helplines & Hotlines of "The Smile of the Child" managed in total:

• 154.192 phone calls -514 per day
• 49.861 calls were made to the National Helpline for Children SOS 1056
• 1.057 reports for 1.884 children
  • 670 children involved physical abuse
  • 901 children involved neglect and abandonment
  • 104 children involved sexual abuse
• 247 incidents of suicidal ideation
  • 114 involved children between 13 and 15 years of age &
  • 69 involved children 16 to 17 years old.
• Counselling cases for 2.127 persons
• 2.841 students were informed about issues of prevention, recognition and treatment of signs of abuse-neglect and domestic violence by Psychologists of the Prevention and Awareness Department

"The Smile of the Child", on the occasion of 18th November - European Day for the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse, 19th November - World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse, and 20th November - World Children's Day, and following faithfully the vision of its 10-year old founder, actively participates in the struggle to raise awareness and ensure the rights and well-being of every child by carrying out actions and participating in mobilizations of its international partners. Analytically:

• Free Thematic Educational Actions of Holistic and Social Intervention, from Monday 18 to Friday 22 November 2024, in the Municipality of Elis, in the framework of the actions of the National Center for Abuse and Exploitation operated by the Organization and in cooperation with the Municipality of Ilida and the Social Structures (Community Centre, Health Centre, Social Grocery).
  • Free Thematic Educational and Awareness Raising Actions for Elementary and High School Students and specifically in the Educational Program, titled "Real Life Stories".
  • Free Training Activities for teachers with a training session with the scientific staff of the "Smile", titled "Child Abuse and Neglect: The role of the teacher " and for parents/guardians a training session with the scientific staff of the "Smile", titled "Ssshh. It's a Secret. The Role of Parents/Guardians in the prevention of sexual harassment/abuse of children"
• Educational, Preventative & Recreational activities on "Children's Rights", from Tuesday 19 to Friday 22 November, for students of primary and secondary education, at the Educational Center of the Organization in Koropi.

The campaign “It Remains a Secret” (Menei Mystiko), was launched in 2017 and is carried out under the auspices of the H.E. President of the Republic. The Organization’s actions aim to provide essential care for children who have suffered all forms of violence such as physical and sexual abuse, neglect, sexual exploitation, etc.

• National Helpline for Children SOS 1056
• European Helpline for Children and Adolescents 116111
• Chat application 1056
• Cybertipline Hellas
• Mobile units of direct psychological support
• Awareness Campaign “Mila Tora” ("Speak Now")
• Prevention & Awareness raising for children, teachers, parents & guardians
• Day Center for Personalized Mental Health Services for Children and Adolescents, “The House of the Child”
• Academy for Education & Training “Smile Academy”
• Support for women victims of domestic violence and their children, launched in early 2020

“The Smile of the Child” participates as an active member of Missing Children Europe (MCE), the Global Missing Children’s Network of the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC), the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse & Neglect (ISPCAN), Child Helpline International (CHI), WeProtect Global Alliance to end child sexual abuse and exploitation online, where actions and initiatives are developed to protect children from trafficking and exploitation, in connection with the issue of missing and presence on the Internet.