Almost half of children in Switzerland experience domestic violence
Child Protection Switzerland not only wants to anchor the right to a non-violent upbringing in the Civil Code (staged photo)
Keystone / Steffen Schmidt
Almost 50% of all children in Switzerland experience physical or psychological violence at home, according to an annual survey conducted by the University of Fribourg on behalf of Child Protection Switzerland.
This content was published on
1 minute
SRF/ts
Español
es
En Suiza, casi la mitad de los niños sufren violencia doméstica
Smacking on the bottom was the most common use of violence, with around 14% of 1,013 parents admitting they smacked their children. About 11% of parents had pushed their child as a punishment, and about 5% of parents had shaken their child, Child Protection Switzerland said in a statementExternal link on Monday.
Shaking a child as a punishment is very concerning for child and youth psychiatrist Oliver Bilke-Hensch. “This can significantly damage a toddler’s brain and an infant’s body,” he told Swiss public television, SRFExternal link. “We don’t want to offset that against slapping a 16-year-old in the face, but the damage is certainly great.”
Psychological punishment is being used increasingly often, the survey shows. Almost 30% of the parents surveyed said they had hurt their children with words or yelled insults at them. Around 12% of parents had humiliated or ridiculed their child.
Child Protection Switzerland not only wants to anchor the right to a non-violent upbringing in the Civil Code, but is also fighting against a violent childhood with awareness campaigns and prevention measures.
The annual parent survey shows awareness is increasing. Five years ago 46% of parents who used corporal punishment had a guilty conscience; today the figure is 77%.
More
More
Violence remains part of life for many Swiss children
This content was published on
A third of Swiss children say they are on the receiving end of physical violence at school, while almost the same amount report violence at home.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Zurich arbitration authority rules in favour of tenants of ‘Sugus Houses’
This content was published on
A conciliation authority says the terminations of 105 flat leases in the so-called "Sugus Houses" in the centre of Zurich were abusive. The tenants therefore do not have to move out - at least for the time being.
This content was published on
Visitors to Switzerland spent CHF19.6 billion ($23.9 billion) last year, a 2.2% rise compared to the previous year, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) said on Monday.
This content was published on
Despite the current tense economic situation, Swiss consumer sentiment remains positive. The Swiss spent more money in May than the previous year, particularly on restaurant visits and leisure activities, as shown by the latest figures released by PostFinance.
This content was published on
A bear killed four sheep in the Lower Engadine region near Scuol, canton Graubünden, last week. This was the first bear attack on local livestock in four years.
This content was published on
Experts believe that economic development in Switzerland will be weaker in 2026 than the forecasts made three months ago. They have also lowered their predictions for the current year.
This content was published on
Fewer people in Switzerland have a religious affiliation and the proportion who practice their religion regularly is steadily declining, a survey finds.
Study: trees have major cooling effect even in extreme heat
This content was published on
Plane trees in cities have an important cooling effect even in extreme heat, according to a new study by the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL).
EPFL launches digitised version of Battle of Murten panorama
This content was published on
To mark the anniversary of the Battle of Murten on 22 June 1476, the Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) has launched a website that offers the public an immersive experience of the huge panorama painting of the historic battle.
77th Swiss Gymnastics Festival praised for ‘positive energy’
This content was published on
The 77th Federal Gymnastics Festival drew to a close on Sunday in Lausanne, after eleven days of popular celebration and sporting performances.
Law change: more people obliged to report child abuse
This content was published on
All professionals with regular contact with children will be obliged to report their suspicions of child abuse from January 1, 2019.
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.