The 2023-2024 Childhood and Adolescence Opinion Barometer report, compiled by UNICEF Spain, reveals that concern over Child Sexual Abuse remains the highest among teenagers in Spain. Nine out of ten young people surveyed express being quite or very concerned about this issue, a percentage that has remained stable compared to previous editions.
The report, which gathers the opinions of over 15,000 adolescents between the ages of 11 and 18, highlights that concern over abuse is even greater among girls (95.9%) than among boys (84.5%). Other issues causing anxiety among teenagers include bullying, cyberbullying, and the quality of healthcare, although none of these reaches the alarm levels raised by sexual abuse.
UNICEF Spain emphasizes the need to strengthen child protection measures and promote safe spaces, as this continues to be one of the greatest concerns among young people. Additionally, the report recommends improving prevention education and victim support services to ensure violence-free environments for children.
At CSA Survivors – Science and Friendship, we analyze how the ongoing concern among adolescents about abuse in all editions of the barometer shows the heightened awareness and commitment of new generations to this issue. Echoing UNICEF’s recommendation to enhance prevention and detection, we stress the urgent need to implement actions that have proven effective in prevention (such as the dialogical prevention model) and support for reporting (like the Barnahus model).
What is urgently needed is to move away from actions based on false information that worsen victim support, and instead apply those that are truly saving lives. Prevention and the protection of victims and those supporting them in reporting abusers are crucial, as is providing the necessary social support to counter the health consequences faced by victims and survivors of abuse.
Article translated from Diario Feminista
President of the CSAS Association - Science and Friendship
Director of DF Diario Feminista
Associate Professor of Journalism and Communication Sciences, Autonomous University of Barcelona