Lockdown increasingly taking toll on families

The extended period of time that families have essentially been incarcerated at home due to the pandemic is taking a significant mental toll that is manifested in the physical abuse of younger children by their parents and the antisocial behavior of adolescents, according to a report by the “Initiative for the Child.”

Using a sample of 330 people, the group based in the northern town of Veria has recorded an increase of 10% in cases of physical abuse over the last year, with victims mainly being primary school-aged children.

It also noted a 50% increase in the number of requests from parents seeking counseling to deal with their adolescent children’s antisocial behavior. This behavior includes theft, burglary, vandalism, drug dealing and substance abuse, with cannabis becoming more prevalent among 13-year-olds.

Experimentation with other substances (hallucinogenics, pills, etc) is also observed on average from 16 onward.