Some 58% of Albanian children say they have experienced abuse at least once in their lives, according to results of a survey revealed by Mirgit Vataj, head of the Order of Social Workers.

Appearing on Good Morning Albanians on Euronews Albania on Thursday, he said that out of the children surveyed, 58% said they had experienced physical violence or abuse at home, in most cases at the hands of their parents.

“According to a study done in Albania, 58% of children are victims of violence and physical abuse. The children in the study showed that once in their life they were victims of violence and physical abuse. It’s a pretty high figure in terms of the level of violence,” Vataj said.

He added that the violence sadly takes placed at home, behind closed doors in an environment that is supposed to be safe for the child.

But it is not just at home that Albanian children are being faced with exposure to violence.

Recent data from educational institutions shows that the number of cases of bullying reported has almost doubled in the last two years, from 491 cases in the 2020 school year to 900 in the 2022 school year.

Meanwhile, the National Hotline for Safer Internet for Children in Albania recently reported that in 2022, the most common reason for children to call them for help was bullying, both online and offline.

A World Vision report from 2019 found that 70% of children in Albania experience some form of violence including psychological and physical abuse at home and in schools.

According to Barnahus Albania, children who live in poverty are over half as more likely to be victims of abuse, in particular sexual abuse, than those from more affluent families.