The most common form of abuse was child neglect.
Keystone
The number of child abuse victims in Switzerland rose by 10% last year, according to the latest statistics collected by the Swiss Society of Pediatrics (SSP).
The figures (in French)External link, released on Wednesday, show that some 1,730 individual cases of child abuse were reported by 20 paediatric clinics (from a total of 31) across Switzerland in 2017, up from 1,565 the previous year.
The most common form of abuse flagged was neglect – failing to provide for a child’s basic health and protection needs – which was reported in 38% of cases. This figure was almost double that of 2016.
Just over a quarter of the reported cases involved physical abuse, while 20% of children experienced psychological abuse such as the witnessing of domestic violence.
Sexual abuse was the least common complaint, but it also had the most skewed gender breakdown: 80% of sexual victims were girls. Across all forms of abuse, girls made up 56% of victims and boys 44%, identical to last year.
In terms of building a profile of the perpetrators, the SSP’s statistics show that abusers are slightly more likely to be male (44% were solely male; 24% solely female; the rest mixed or unknown), and extremely likely to be a member of the child’s family (84% of incidents).
Young children are most likely to be affected, with one in six abused children under the age of one, the SSP wrote. Some 46% of victims were under the age of six.
More
More
Child protection measures tightened
This content was published on
New guidelines on protecting children, in particular small children, have been agreed by the Swiss parliament. The KESB approves.
Should raw milk sales be banned or should consumers decide?
Swiss food regulations do not allow raw milk to be sold for direct consumption. However, a loophole allows 400 raw milk vending machines to do just that.
Is reforming the Swiss pension system still possible, and if so, how?
Solutions still need to be found to meet the challenge of an ageing population and to improve the pensions of low-paid workers, the majority of whom are women.
This content was published on
Czech President Petr Pavel and his wife, Eva Pavlova, arrived in Switzerland on Tuesday at the start of a two-day state visit.
Study shows proliferation of non-native plants is driver of insect invasions
This content was published on
A global study has revealed that insect invasions are being driven by the proliferation of non-native plants. This can can massively disrupt ecological processes, often leading to serious economic impacts.
Swiss set record for world’s longest hyperloop test
This content was published on
Swiss scientists have established a record for the longest-ever hyperloop journey at a facility in Lausanne, Switzerland.
This content was published on
The Swiss army wants to purchase new German armoured howitzers to replace its existing artillery system which has been in operation for over 50 years.
Poll suggests Donald Trump has many fans in Switzerland
This content was published on
Around a quarter of Swiss citizens would vote for Donald Trump if they had the chance, according to a recent poll. This percentage is higher than in many other European countries.
Swiss court rejects special assistance for student with disabilities
This content was published on
The Swiss Federal Court has rejected an application for special assistance from a student with disabilities at the federal technology institute ETH Zurich.
Police arrest 15 drug dealers in Verbier in southern Switzerland
This content was published on
Swiss and French police have arrested 15 suspected drug dealers operating in the mountain resort of Verbier in southern Switzerland.
New European space tech centre in Switzerland launches its first project
This content was published on
The European Space Deep-Tech Innovation Centre (ESDI), launched in collaboration with the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), is to be located in the immediate vicinity of the PSI in northern Switzerland.
Swiss Federal Railways launches campaign for safety on public transport
This content was published on
The Swiss Federal Railways is launching a campaign for greater respect and safety on public transport, with posters to go up in stations and on trains starting next week.
This content was published on
Nearly three out of four children worldwide experience some form of violence, a major international report has concluded.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.