Sexual abuse with minors is turning into a worrying phenomenon. In Albania, there are no accurate data on how many such cases occur, but according to a Balkan Epidemiological Study on Abuse and Neglect of Children, 12% of Albanian children are victims of sexual harassment and 5% of them are victims of sexual abuse.

In the first half of this year there were no shaky cases. One of them was a few days ago in the city of Durres where an 8 year old was attempted to sexually abused by some young people inside school premises, the case in the city of Kavaja where a minor was abused by 7 teenagers, or the case that was denounced in the media of a girl who was sexually abused by her father for three years.

Meanwhile, for the year 2018, five cases have been registered, of which one case of abuse in school, and four other cases have occurred in the community.

In 50% of cases reported, the victims were 16 to 18 years of age and in 50% of these cases the perpetrators are adult non-family members of the child.

But what are the consequences that cause sexual abuse in the psychology and health of children?

Both bullying and sexual abuse affect the development of self-esteem, hurting the development of personality, socializing with others, both in adolescence and adulthood.

Loneliness, high testosterone levels increases the risk of provocative sexual behaviors, sexually transmitted diseases, and unwanted pregnancies. The boys notice the same physical symptoms and hormonal changes and more aggressive behavior in school, family, and attention problems.

Source: INTV