The child protection association in Lower Saxony recorded a significantly increased need for help in the corona pandemic.
In the past year there were more consultations than in the previous year, and online consultations in particular have risen sharply, the organization announced on Thursday. More than 461,000 children and young people turned to the “number against sorrow” with their worries, fears and needs – by phone or online. According to the Child Protection Association, this resulted in almost 111,000 specific discussions.
Child protection association: “Many suffer from contact restrictions”
The association recorded a 31 percent increase in Internet communication over the previous year. In Hanover, the number of online consultations has almost doubled, said Petra Lorenz, head of the children’s and youth telephone at the child protection center in Hanover. “For many children it was more difficult to call us in the first lockdown in 2020 because everyone was at home. They often switched to online advice,” said Lorenz. “There are young people who suffer a lot from restricted contact, are afraid of the future or are depressed. But of course we also have to deal with cases that involve violence, including sexual violence,” reported Lorenz.
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There are debates about “cushioning the consequential damage of the lockdown”, said the Minister of Education. (02/11/2021) 1 min
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More taking into care in the Harburg district
The consequences of the pandemic for children can also be felt in the Harburg district. There, the reports of children at risk to the youth welfare office between April and December increased by 37 percent, as reported by NDR 1 Lower Saxony. The number of children who had to be removed from families rose by as much as 51 percent.
Counties make different observations
The districts of Stade and Lüchow-Dannenberg also report an increase in hazard reports and taking into care when asked by NDR. In the Heidekreis, however, it is said: So far there has been no significant increase. And the youth welfare office in the Rotenburg district found lower numbers of child welfare endangerments during the lockdown – however, it is expected that more anomalies will be reported again as soon as the lockdown is over. This is how Johannes Schmidt sees it. The chairman of the Lower Saxony child protection association says that important reference persons such as educators or teachers do not notice much because schools and daycare centers are still closed. Much happens under the radar, says Schmidt. He suspects that one will only find out about the extent of the problems after the slow opening.
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There are 1,010 newly infected people. The seven-day incidence drops slightly. It is 68.1 per 100,000 inhabitants. more
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