What happened to children in Hungary in 2017?
The Hintalovon Foundation published its report on in April 2018, introducing the most important matters of 2017 related to the rights of children. All that was important and crucial concerning children the past year, all that we have discussed, all that was in the media are included in this review.
Numbers and facts from 2017
- Every third child was placed out of his/her family based on material reasons.
- Media reports on sexual abuse against children have seen a growth of 400 %.
- One third of the children living in foster care centres and home based foster care facilities are disabled, whereas the number of foster parents specialized to take care of disabled children decreased by 20% according to statistics from 2017.
- In 2017, 232 unaccompanied children and 1600 children together with their families crossed the border of Hungary applying for refugee status.
- Every fifth secondary school student (21,7 %) and every second apprentice (55,8 %) never reads a book.
- Since 2010 the percentage of overweight children has not grown, nevertheless the problem still affects every fourth girl and every fifth boy among children aged 6-8 in 2017.
- Every year 25-30 children aged between 10-14 commits suicide.
- Apart from the changes in the legislation and actions of the government and the civil society the yearly child rights report takes into consideration the media coverages about children as well, in order to give a comprehensive picture about issues related to the rights of children that have engaged the attention of the society in 2017.
This report reflects the situation of children and youth today, but can be considered as a vision of the future as well: within few decades the generation growing up now will determine our everyday life. This is why we see the prevalence of the rights of the children so important: the shape of the society of the future will largely be determined by the everyday experiences of the children now – commented the Children Delegates of the Foundation on the Report.
“Our intention with this report is to increase awareness of the rights of children and sensitivity towards the violations of these rights. This kind of yearly report was written for the second time in 2018. The report of 2016 and the accompanying video reached more than 100.000 people. We hope that the recently published material about 2017 will be similarly successful, and in this way even those who are not engaged in this field will be aware of the rights of children” – said Szilvia Gyurkó, the head of Hintalovon Foundation.
