The CEO of Children at Risk Ireland has called for the urgent introduction of a treatment programme for sexualised behaviour in young children.
Launching its annual report today, the charity, which supports victims of child sex abuse, has revealed there has been a 43 per cent increase in the number of assaults on children committed by children.
Funding cuts mean that children can be waiting up to 12 months for vital therapy. In fact, there has been a 29 per cent reduction in therapy hours since 2012.
CARI say ease of access to hardcore pornography online and hyper-sexualisation in the media are two contributing factors. The charity also revealed that teenagers were "being further traumatised by the fact that these assaults were viewed and discussed by their peers on social media sites, which often led to the isolation and bullying of the victims.”
CARI is calling for the implementation of a national education programme for teachers and parents.
