Violence against children has escalated since lockdowns
politics
The reports of abused children in the city of Salzburg have increased massively during the lockdown years and are becoming more and more. Every two weeks, one species from the parental home should be brought to safety, it is said. In addition to the care crisis, the shortage of skilled workers also reached child and youth care.
The city is now demanding more budget from the state and federal government as well as better conditions for the staff. The child and youth welfare service is called twice a day in the city of Salzburg – to which teachers, neighbors or acquaintances report suspected cases of violence. Such cases have increased by 75 percent in the past two years, says Adelheid Moser from the child and youth welfare service in the city of Salzburg.
Too few places to live for rescued children
The hat is burning, that’s also the motto of the large social association Koko with crisis centers and shared apartments for children and young people. The organization has 91 residential places nationwide, 75 of them in the city of Salzburg. In 2021, all beds were occupied in individual months. More housing would have been needed.
According to experts, the increasing number of cases also requires more staff. The aim of child and youth welfare is to look after the children at home for as long as possible. However, outpatient care for families in crisis is coming under increasing pressure. The shortage of skilled workers has also arrived in social work, emphasizes youth worker Moser. She demands more money and improvements from politicians so that more staff can be trained and hired.
City politics demands money from state and federal government
The city of Salzburg has employed three additional social workers in the past two years. That’s not enough, says Moser. Councilor for social affairs Anja Hagenauer (SPÖ) is also demanding higher budgets and better framework conditions for staff from the state of Salzburg and the federal government.
The Kids-Line with telephone advice and chats is also a “low-threshold” contact point for children and young people who are affected by violence. Here, too, the number of consultations had doubled. In some cases, elementary school students would report themselves if they were in need, says emergency psychologist Katja Schweitzer.
More violence in the coming years?
According to experts, the tip of the iceberg has not yet been reached. The number of unreported cases is high. Due to the consequences of lockdowns, inflation and fears of existence, violence in families is expected to continue to increase in the coming years.