For majority of Slovenians, sexual abuse of children is a serious problem; nearly one in five have experienced at least one form of sexual abuse. However, awareness of this type of abuse is low, as parents don’t feel comfortable discussing it with their children, and schools don’t provide enough preventive education. These are among key findings of the study “Perceptions of child sexual abuse” in Slovenia published today. The study was conducted under the project "Supporting the implementation of Barnahus (Children’s House)" run by the Council of Europe with financial assistance of the EU Structural Reform Support Programme.
Almost 70% of Slovenians believe that sexual abuse of children is a serious problem in Slovenia, the study finds. However, nearly half of the respondents, 47%, would not be able to recognise its signs; moreover, almost a third believe that such abuse always involves the use of physical force, a quarter of respondents think that exposing children to sexual activities and pornography is not sexual abuse, and 17% think children cannot sexually abuse other children. Two thirds of the respondents think that schools do not provide enough information to prevent sexual abuse, and the absolute majority, 90%, believe education on the matters should be part of the school curriculum. At the same time, nearly half of parents find it awkward to discuss this topic with their children at home, and only one third have done so.
The study on personal experiences has shown that almost one in five respondents (18%) has experienced at least one form of sexual abuse up to the age of 18 years old; with inappropriate touching and indecent exposure being the most commonly mentioned forms. Only 6% of victims filed a criminal complaint, and only 3% of the complaints were followed by a trial and conviction.
“Worldwide, but also in Slovenia, child sexual abuse is one of the most underreported crimes.” Said Lilijana Kozlovič, Minister of Justice of Slovenia and continued: “To combat it we need laws and policies, of course, but also a change in attitudes and the ways we work to make sure no child is left behind and that every suspected case is reported, efficiently treated and responded. Child sexual abuse is often surrounded by taboos, stigma and shame. This research helps in breaking the silence.”
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