On Monday 22 February 2021, when the European Day for victims of crime was celebrated, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) (https://fra.europa.eu/en/about-fra) survey on physical violence, sexual violence, and crime in all its forms was published.
Over the past decade it appears that violent people have been increasing with geometric progress globally while rates of violence, physical and sexual, intimidation, and pedophilia have increased to a high degree, causing governments to make a stricter legal framework for the protection of victims.
by Thanos S. Chonthrogiannis
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Photo by the website https://fra.europe.eu
The results of the FRA Survey
The FRA’s research was based on a sample check of thirty-five thousand people in all European countries and concerns violence, harassment, burglary, and fraud. The survey showed that 1 in 10 people in Europe has been violent over the past five years, while around twenty-two million people have been victims of violence in the last year in the EU.
People aged 16-29 make up most victims of violence, while women, minority members and members of the LGBTQI community are also targeted by perpetrators in Europe.
The FRA survey showed that 31% of women have experienced some form of violence since the age of fifteen, with 16% of this rate involving sexual violence.
10% of men say they have been the victim of sexual violence. Many victims in incidents of sexual violence are people in the victim’s wider social environment. People from the working environment, neighbors, acquaintances are the main category of perpetrators.
The places where sexual violence is committed are the victim’s home, the perpetrator’s house, the workplace, isolated public space, etc. The FRA’s research has shown that the impact on the daily lives of victims of sexual violence varies. More specifically:
Women
- 50% women reported post-traumatic stress disorder.
- 49% fear and feeling that they are vulnerable.
- 39% lack of self-esteem.
- 36% Depression.
- 35% difficulties in sleep (sleep disturbances).
- 33% panic attacks.
- 30% concentration problem.
Men
- 37% post-traumatic stress disorder.
- 29% fear and feeling that they are vulnerable.
- 20% lack of self-esteem.
- 23% Depression.
- 19% difficulties in sleep (sleep disturbances).
- 22% panic attacks.
- 10% concentration problem.
But the most important thing that the research has highlighted is that most victims of sexual violence are unable to overcome the fact and move forward with their lives.
Treatment and Prediction
Many psychologists have believed for years that the causes of an adult turning sexually towards underage children vary but all converge on the fact that they have experienced a troubled childhood that bequeathed them an equally problematic adult life.
Possible causes
- As individuals they were sexually abused at a tender age.
- Traumatic incident during their sex life.
- Immature sexuality.
- Immature emotional and sexual puberty.
Treatment and Provision for the Reduction of Incidents of Sexual Violence focuses on appropriate education and sexual education programs that will prevent and prevent deviant and unethical behaviors.
In addition, a stricter legislative framework for sex offenders and the creation of registers of professionals who meet children who follow strict criteria and controls.
The programme has been in place in France since the end of January, where psychologists, therapists, doctors, and generally qualified medical staff will have two meetings with qualified medical staff to identify incidents of domestic sexual violence moving in the right direction.
In addition, teachers should determine whether a child has been the victim of sexual violence and report it immediately.
At the same time, however, societies should educate and support the victims by unequivocally condemning the perpetrator.
