Beleaguered children ” “

 Alarming figures that should prompt serious reflection: 34% of children in Poland have suffered physical or psychological violence, while 18% have witnessed family violence, Monika Sajkowska, director of the praiseworthy non-profit organization Fundacja “Dzieci niczyje” (“Nobody’s children” foundation) for combating violence against minors, told Anna Kowalewska for SIR Europe. Figures relate to the 11-17 age group: younger children don’t participate in anonymous surveys that require the ability to independently give written answers to a set of questions. According to a survey by Joanna Wlodarczyk, presented during the recent national congress of the Foundation, one in five children is a victim of physical violence by adults. In 55% of the cases, the perpetrators are the child’s own parents, in 25% other adults whom the child was acquainted with, while 30% of interviewees refused to unveil the identity of the perpetrators of the acts of violence. 6% of adolescents was a victim of sexual abuse, while 5% was a victim of online harassment. More than 50% of Polish minors access the Internet through a mobile phone, thus eluding adults’ control. In fact, another survey carried out by the Foundation shows that 67.3% is at risk of exposure of pornographic content while 76.4% of adolescents aged 14-17 has been the victim of online violence at least once. Dr. Sajkowska, what is the situation of younger children under 10, who are not included in statistical surveys? “Their condition is the most dramatic and the most difficult to monitor too. Especially in the case of children under three who are home, with no external contacts. Unfortunately the younger the child the more difficult it is to obtain information on his/her situation. As relates to young children, official figures confirmed by our own experience show that children under three are more exposed to violence inside the household. This age-bracket also registers the highest numbers of infanticides and abuse, with serious consequences for the victim. Often the abuse is known only after its consequences severely impacted the growth and the psychological development of the victims. For this reason our activities focus on the identification of families at risk. To this regard a few years ago we launched a dedicated support program”.  Official figures found in one of the publications of the Foundation show that the number of cases of violence against minors is slightly decreasing. Could it be said that there are slight improvements? “The cases of infanticide and of abandoned children decreased until the year 2012. Now, only in the first semester of 2013, such cases have largely grown compared to 2012. Figures regarding 20-30 cases of infanticide each year remain stable since we cannot see those tragedies only from a merely statistical angle. Instead, as regards reported cases of violence against minors, it should be said that the filing procedures have changed and it may happen that the police simply gives up registration as the bureaucracy has grown more complex, requiring more time compared to the past. These statistics not always reflect the facts”. According to Eurostat figures for 2011, although the overall population poverty has decreased, the same cannot be said as for the poverty index of children and youths. Is violence on minors related to poverty rates? “The idea that cases of abuse are higher in poor families is a stereotype. Indeed, difficult economic conditions are a relevant factor, but not all families at violence-risk have economic problems. Other important factors are the condition of solitude of the mother or lack of support on the part of the extended family of by the social services, pathologies of psychological problems of one or two parents, often caused by alcoholism”.  What should be done to decrease the acts of violence against minors? “Prevention is necessary, starting by raising parents’ awareness. While Polish legislation bans the use of violence on children since 2010, physical punishment is still frequent in many families. This leads to a vicious cycle of parents beaten in their childhood, who consider slapping their child a mere aspect in child-parent relations. The change in mentality will take many years. And we cannot just sit and wait for this to happen”.