80% of children in Saudi Arabia subjected to physical or psychological violence, study reveals

80 percent of chilren and young people have been subjected to various forms of physical and psychological violence in Saudi Arabia, a study has revealed.

The National Family Safety Program examined cases involving over 18,000 children and youth, which revealed the alarming growth in the number of sexual, physical, psychological and domestic violence cases.

13% of the population had suffered sexual abuse, 53% experienced being neglected and 80% have faced various forms of physical and psychological violence. The results of the study also indicated only 2% of the 5,700 social workers had received training to deal with offenders and victims, leading to the belief that there is a poor public awareness on the issue.

Maha Al-Munief, Executive President of the program, stated that abuse in children results in various physical and psychological problems, Asia News reported. 11% of children growing up in relatively safe environments contract diabetes, while this rate increases to 23% in abusive environments, she noted.

Speaking at an event organized by the Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Fund for the Development of Women in Dammam called "Domestic Violence — From Silence to Legislation", Al-Munief said depression and drug abuse cases are increasing among child victims.

3% of normal children start using drugs, while this number rises to 17% among those abused. 5% of normal children are affected by depression, while this number rises to 21% for those who suffered from abuse. Even though many bodies focus on these types of problems, causes are not investigated.

Al-Munief also stated survey results shows only 5% of those abused reach out for protection.

According to King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Saudi Arabia has several programs offering support services to children, highlighting the priority of promoting attention to child violence. Al-Munief added other centers would soon be opened to train more professionals including lawyers, judges and police officers to deal with abused children and women.

The Saudi scholar concluded that the programs of assistance and aid have already assisted 250,000 children in various parts of the country having 60% of the received calls are from children themselves.

The National Family Safety Program was created to build awareness, protect victims of domestic violence and defends individuals' rights.