The pandemic is still determining everyday life - not only due to the increasing number of infections, but also in terms of the effects on children and young people.

Stefan Schäfer, Managing Director of the Frankfurt Child Protection Association, blames the lockdowns, the mood of crisis and the great uncertainty of the past few years for much of what his counseling center for children, young people and their families observed last year: in 2021 there was a clear one Increase in consultation requests.

"Many families who were previously able to deal well with challenging situations can no longer cope," reports Schäfer.

Many are aware of that.

They would therefore also approach the child protection agency on their own, because they suspected that they urgently needed support.

Theresa White

Editor in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung.

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As can be read in the annual report of the child protection association, a total of 270 inquiries were addressed to the advice center in the Main metropolis last year, a value "significantly above the average of previous years".

Parents and educational professionals in particular sought advice or asked for a risk assessment because they were concerned about a specific child.

But siblings and self-reporters would also have sought support.

According to the report, the proportion of girls and boys affected was similar.

Perpetrators usually from the immediate vicinity

According to Schäfer, one reason why the demand for advice has increased so much could be the end of the lockdowns - since schools, but also youth centers and clubs are open again, wounds or conspicuous behavior, for example, are discovered more quickly.

Those affected can then be addressed or referred to offers of help.

27 percent of the children who came to the child protection agency’s counseling center were affected by sexualised violence.

"That's the biggest climb," says Stefan Schäfer.

And according to the figures that the annual report shows, this is also the most common reason to seek advice.

Ten percent of those seeking help came because of psychological violence, 16 percent because of physical violence.

14 percent of the consultations took place because of neglect, one in five because of domestic violence.

Schäfer believes that the increase in sexual violence can also be explained by the fact that more children and young people dare to ask for help if they have experienced sexual assault: "The topic is no longer taboo in society." The perpetrators mostly came from the close environment, as is often the case with this form of violence.

In the previous year, 20 children received a long-term pedagogical-therapeutic offer from the child protection association as a result of domestic violence or sexual abuse, as the report from the counseling center goes on to say.

A young person was helped by his taking into care.

Overall, a lot of play therapy is used to get to the inner world of the traumatized children, where needs, worries, wishes and experiences are expressed.

The city knows about the challenges.

The responsible social affairs officer Elke Voitl (Die Grünen) announced a few weeks ago in the social committee that Frankfurt would get a Childhood House.

In this facility, which is to be established this year in cooperation with the university clinic, competencies from various disciplines would be bundled in order to process and end violence against children.

For example, psychologists should question the children about the crime, with the police being able to observe the statement on camera.

The child then does not have to describe the traumatic experiences over and over again.

A lot of “peer violence” on the internet

Because young people - also due to the pandemic - often spend more time on the Internet than anywhere else, the Child Protection Association has reacted to this.

"The media presence of young people has skyrocketed during the pandemic," says Schäfer.

His team is therefore offering more help online.

For example with the “Safe in the Law” project.

There, the affected children receive legal, emotional and educational support with "access routes appropriate for young people", as Schäfer puts it.

This means that the children can make contact with the counseling service, for example via chat.

In terms of content, the project is also adapted to the topic world online: The focus is on cyberbullying or hatred on the Internet.

But there is also sexualized violence there.

For example, when someone posts or threatens to post a nude photo on the Internet.

There's a lot of "peer violence" going on online, says Schäfer.

So child violence against each other.

"What used to be bullying in the schoolyard is now happening online - and of course it is then immediately sent to all other schools." image is to be deleted from the network and how they can take legal action against the polluter.

This should show them room for maneuver.