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Violence against children and women

in Greece

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  4. Violence against children and women

Children affected 

  • Between 2019 and 2020, there were 1,214 child survivors of whom 49.4 per cent had experienced physical violence; 29.5 per cent sexual violence; and 18 per cent domestic violence. The majority of survivors (62 per cent) were under 14 years old (Hellenic Police).
  • 70 per cent of school children between 11 and 15 years old had experienced violent behaviors (70 per cent psychological violence, 47.4 per cent physical violence, and 9.4 per cent sexual violence) (Nikolaidis et. all, 2018, Lifetime and past-year prevalence of children's exposure to violence in 9 Balkan countries: the BECAN study, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health).
  • 27 per cent of students reported being bullied at school at least a few times a month, while the average across OECD countries stands at 23 per cent (OECD average 23%) (PISA, 2018).
  • Between November 2021 and September 2022, 223 women and 251 children were hosted in safe shelters; of those, 53 women and 81 children were refugees (General Secretariat of Demographic and Family Policy and Gender Equality, 2022).

Women affected

  • Between November 2021 and September 2022, domestic violence was the most common (83.9 per cent) type of violence reported to the National Network of Response Services to Violence Against Women, followed by rape (2 per cent), and sexual harassment (2.4 per cent). In 55.4 per cent of the cases, the perpetrator was the current or former husband.

Equity

Other

  • In 2022, 18.6 per cent of registered cases of racist violence (8 out of 43) were against minors between 13 and 17 years old.

Enabling Environment

Legislation, policy, resources, coordination, data

Bottleneck

  • The lack of a centralized coordinating and decision-making authority leads to a fragmented governance system which is characterized by bodies with overlapping mandates, limited coordination, and insufficient accountability mechanisms. This, in turn, impedes the development of a comprehensive, equitable, and effective response to violence against children.
  • Fragmented legal framework to prevent and fight violence against children.
  • Absence of dedicated, adequately staffed, and specialized child protection social services at community-level as policy making and planning of the service delivery for child protection prevention and response lie as accountabilities in different Ministries and governance levels.
  • Lack of comprehensive national data on children affected by all forms of violence.
  • No data on boys and men survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.
  • Lack of a procedural framework and mechanisms for the identification and reporting of cases of violence against children in schools.
  • Lack of comprehensive measures to prevent and limited capacity to address online abuse and exploitation which is one of the most rapidly growing forms of violence against children.
  • Lack of societal awareness, including among the authorities, and public demand to address violence against children.
  • Absence of a strategy and mechanisms to inform policy and planning with the participation of children.

CRC Recommendations (2022)

  • 27(a) Further develop the national database of all cases of violence against children, including sexual violence, and undertake a comprehensive assessment of the extent, causes and nature of such violence in order to formulate a comprehensive strategy for preventing and combatting it;
  • 27(b) Ensure that the prohibition of corporal punishment, bullying and domestic violence cover all settings, are effectively enforced, including by monitoring the implementation of Laws 3500/2006 and 4322/2015.

National Actions

  • Undertake essential structural reforms to establish a comprehensive child protection system, with well-defined roles for services and professionals, and explicit accountabilities for all involved sectors. Such a reform would encompass all levels (local, regional, and national) and be tailored to address the needs of children and their families. Furthermore, it should take into consideration factors like gender, culture, language, and disabilities to ensure inclusivity and effectiveness.
  • Develop a national database of all cases of violence against children to inform policy making. The database should collect and analyse up-to-date evidence on violence, neglect, abuse and/or discrimination affecting children.
  • Review the current legal framework for gaps and inconsistencies and take effective measures to establish a more robust legal framework that guarantees comprehensive child protection across all tiers of prevention and response.
  • Establishment of a national mechanism, including a central authority to coordinate and monitor the accountabilities and results delivered by respective duty-bearers in child protection.
  • Identify and allocate financial resources to establish specialized child protection services, ensuring they receive proper and continuous training and professional supervision.
  • Develop robust financial plans taking into consideration the real needs of the local communities and secure the necessary governmental budget at national and local levels.

Supply

Adequately staffed services, facilities, information, commodities

Bottlenecks

  • Lack of unified procedures and tools to coordinate intersectoral services and guide child abuse and neglect case management at central, regional and municipal level.
  • Shortage of staff at municipal social services, coupled with a lack of specialization in working with children. Limited personnel and training in key supportive sectors, such as health facilities and education. This discourages survivors from reporting and when they do, they are at risk of retraumatization due to the lack of appropriate support.

CRC Recommendations (2022)

  • 27(d) Establish mechanisms, procedures and guidelines to ensure and promote mandatory reporting and multiagency intervention in all cases of violence against children; and strengthen teachers and health professionals training to prevent, detect and address different forms of violence, including based on sexual orientation and gender identity;
  • 27(e) Ensure that children have access to confidential, child-friendly complaint mechanisms, including hotlines, for the reporting of all forms of violence and abuse and encourage children to make use thereof;
  • 27(f) Ensure that: (i) cases of violence against children are promptly reported and investigated, applying a child-friendly and multi-sectoral approach to avoid the traumatisation of the child; (ii) reparations are provided to child victims; and (iii) perpetrators are prosecuted and duly sanctioned and deterred from having contact with children, in particular in their professional capacity;
  • 27(g) Make the Athens-based Children's House (Law 4478/2017) a place for child victims and witnesses of violence allowing children to receive all the specialized services they need in one place, further develop this concept and generalize it to the entire territory, while encouraging courts to use it to collect testimony from children, avoid repetitive questioning and allow audiovisual recordings of testimonies as evidence in the court procedures;
  • 27(h) Provide specialized services and access to information about compensation for children who are victims of violence, including psychological support, to ensure their recovery and reintegration, and allocate financial, human and technical resources to public authorities and NGOs supporting this work.

National Actions

  • Collaborate with international organizations, universities and professional associations to adapt and integrate the existing already piloted methodologies and tools into a comprehensive framework.
  • Establish safe and accessible platforms for children to voice their concerns and seek help, both online and offline.
  • Develop mechanisms for child participation in planning and decision making.

Demand

Financial access and social behavioural drivers

Bottlenecks

  • Patriarchal norms and gender stereotypes result in victim-blaming. Survivors of gender-based violence are perceived as responsible for their abuse and further discouraged from reporting or seeking support.
  • Low reporting on child violence, mainly due to a lack of recognition, fear, or inadequate support services.
  • Corporal punishment is still socially acceptable.
  • Psychological violence is not perceived as a form of violence and is often difficult to prove.

CRC Recommendations (2022)

  • 27(c) Raise awareness of children, caregivers, teachers and other professionals working for and with children about the prohibition of corporal punishment, bullying and domestic violence, and develop broad campaigns to promote positive, non-violent and participatory forms of child-rearing and discipline.

National Actions

  • Implement social behavioral change strategies and campaigns to generate a national discussion on violence against children while combatting racism, bias, and harmful stereotypes against vulnerable groups.
  • Implement gender sensitization programs targeting individuals and communities to challenge traditional gender roles and norms to promote respectful and equitable relationships.
  • Launch campaigns to educate parents, caregivers, and educators about the harmful effects of corporal punishment on children's well-being and development.
  • Provide parenting workshops and sessions that promote positive discipline methods and non-violent communication.
  • Conduct awareness campaigns to inform the public about the detrimental impact of psychological violence and the signs to recognize it.
  • Implement comprehensive anti-bullying programs in schools that address ethnicity, race, learning difficulties, and gender as potential factors contributing to bullying.
  • Provide clear guidance and procedures on corporal punishment for professionals.
  • Develop public awareness campaigns to encourage reporting on violence against children.