GENEVA, June 16 (Xinhua) -- Between 30,000 and 50,000 children who suffer abuse are registered by the child protection authorities in Switzerland every year, a study published this week has found.
"These children need help and support because they are subject to physical or psychological violence, are neglected, witness forms of violence, or are sexually abused," said the study by the Zurich-based UBS Optimus Foundation.
The study analyzed the number of abuse cases, the types of welfare risks in Switzerland and the kinds of services provided by the various child protection organizations.
The agencies included government-sponsored bodies such as the social protection program for children and adults, hospitals, the police and victim aid services.
They found that 2 percent to 3.3 percent of all children living in Switzerland are referred to a child protection agency every year, corresponding to 30,000 to 50,000 children annually.
"The reported cases are likely just the tip of the iceberg. The results of the current study imply that the services do not always meet actual needs," said the press release on the report.
This was in part because there are significant differences in services available across different regions of Switzerland, which means some children may have better access than others.
The survey also showed that in 22.4 percent of the reported child abuse cases, the victims had experienced neglect.
Some 20.2 percent involved physical abuse and 19.3 percent psychological abuse.
In 18.7 percent of cases, the children had witnessed domestic violence and a further 15.2 percent had suffered sexual abuse.
