Three out of ten young people say they have suffered sexual violence during adolescence.
A national macro-study says that mothers and fathers are the main perpetrators of psychological and physical abuse in the first years of life.
BarcelonaNearly half of young Spaniards report having suffered psychological violence in childhood and adolescence. Forty percent also claim to have been beaten and beaten, and three in ten (29%) report having been victims of sexual assault and rape while growing up. These are figures from the first macro-survey on the prevalence of violence among minors, presented this Thursday by the Ministry of Youth and Children in Madrid. This is the first comprehensive snapshot of a reality that, according to Minister Sira Rego, "has been experienced behind closed doors," fostered by "a pact of silence," which the data now predicts.
"The figures are terrible and show that violence is structural. It is not a private problem, but a matter of state," Rego stated at the presentation, indicating that such high prevalence figures actually hide "a collective wound" that must be healed. Girls, LGBTQI+ youth, migrant minors, those with less than a university education, or those with some degree of disability are the groups most affected by any type of violence. These groups were analyzed based on questions asked of young people between the ages of 18 and 30 due to the impossibility of surveying minors. Thus, the survey is based on the memory of people having traumatic experiences. However, Miguel de la Fuente, the study coordinator, has assured that "the extrapolation can be made with absolute reliability."
Regarding who the aggressors of these children are, the report indicates that in sexual violence against children, the main perpetrators are parents (20%) and non-cohabiting relatives (16%), but in adolescence, the main perpetrator is the partner. In an analysis by sex, significant differences are observed between men and women. Men who have been victims of threats and intimidation primarily point to their fathers, but 11% also mention mothers. In contrast, the women surveyed blame their partners and strangers for sexual abuse.
For De la Fuente, the number of children who have suffered violence is not only devastating, but also the number who report having suffered it repeatedly. Between 5 and 7% state that sexual or physical abuse was usually repeated during childhood (0-11 years) and adolescence (12-18), a percentage that rises to 25% when asked about violence perpetrated by a partner during adolescence or 13% when asked about psychological violence.
Violence in Adulthood
Psychological violence is the most prevalent, with 48% of respondents recalling episodes of control, contempt, or intimidation. The peak of cases occurs in adolescence (45% of young people), but there is also a high prevalence in the first years of life (16%). In this type of aggression, it is parents, especially mothers, who perpetrate the violence during childhood, and as the years go by, friends from school and the community are also targeted. In adulthood, one in five respondents says they continue to suffer this psychological pressure.
Parents are also the most likely to perpetrate physical violence against minors. 40% of young adults surveyed say they have hit them, with a difference of 11 percentage points between men (46%) and women. Parents are also the main perpetrators (mothers slightly more than fathers), followed by peers and family members.
Researchers also asked about digital violence, the most recent form of violence and one that is increasing every year. Of those interviewed, one in four has been exposed to sexual or psychological abuse through social media. Although there is no difference between the sexes, it was found that it has less impact during childhood than during adolescence, likely due to parental controls.
Most respondents admit that they did not report or even communicate the violence to their family, but instead told friends and, to a lesser extent, their mothers. Only 4% of women received psychological support. Partners and strangers (both adults and minors) are the main perpetrators.
Another form of violence is neglect, that is, failing to care for a minor. On this point, one in four young people answered affirmatively and pointed first to the father as responsible for this lack of attention and then to the mother.