The Barcelona EMMA team has dealt with 341 cases of violence against minors in the last year 83% of the aggressors of the victims treated for sexual violence are people close to the child 79% are sexual assaults that are mainly suffered by girls and adolescents A third of the aggressors of the patients treated for sexual violence by the EMMA team are minors. This is one of the data from the annual balance of this team, the Vall d’Hebron Unit for Attention to Violence against Children and Adolescents, which was presented this Tuesday. The causes pointed out by the report are complex, but they highlight premature access to pornography, which they place at 8 years old, and a lack of affective-sexual education. “This does not mean that a third of adolescents are aggressors or that we have detected an increase in aggressions among adolescents, but it is a fact to be analysed”, pointed out Anna Fàbregas, deputy of the Pediatric Service and coordinator of the EMMA Team. In the last year, this reference unit for dealing with violence against children and adolescents in Barcelona has treated 341 patients -34 more cases than the previous year. Among the violence against children under 16, the vast majority, 79% are victims of sexual violence, followed by 15.5% of cases of physical abuse and 3% due to lack of care. Girls and adolescents, the ones who suffer the most Girls and adolescents are the ones who suffer the most from sexual violence. They represent 87% of the cases attended, among them the majority profile of the victim is that of a 13-year-old girl. Regarding the ages of the victims who have been treated up to 16 years old, 42% are over 13 years old, 34% are between 8 and 12 years old, but it is noteworthy that almost a quarter, 23.5% They are less than 7 years old. The percentage of children and adolescents cared for is 13%. 83% of the aggressors of victims of sexual violence cared for are people close to the child and adolescent, family members or acquaintances. 50% of the cases attended have occurred within the family, and parents represent 34%, followed by cousins in 17%. Outside the family environment, 42% of sexual violence comes from equals, from people of the same age and environment, where, therefore, there are more cases of aggressors under the age of 18, points out Dr. Anna Fàbregas: “This year we have detected a significant percentage of aggressions between equals, especially in adolescents; a third of the aggressors are minors.”Premature access to pornographyGiuliana Ríos, social health worker of the EMMA Team, has explained the influence that access to pornography has at increasingly premature ages. Ríos has cited a study by the University of the Balearic Islands, according to which the first access to pornography occurs at the age of 8 and at 14 consumption is generalized. Other causes, according to Ríos, are the lack of affective-sexual education and other factors such as the social environment, the psychological profile and premature exposure to sexual behavior inappropriate for their age. The report highlights the importance of affective-sexual education. to help the boy or girl to identify situations that may be a risk or an inappropriate relationship, or to better overcome situations experienced. From early childhood it is recommended to give real names to the intimate parts of the body (breasts, vulva, ass and penis) , teach them that no one can touch them -except, depending on their age, at times such as the bathroom or medical visits-, and respect the right of children not to give hugs, kisses or other signs of affection if they do not want to. It is also Technological education is important to try to prevent cyberbullying. “Verbal communication must always accompany the control systems that parents exercise over the content that their children consume through mobile devices”, points out Giuliana Ríos. In this sense, this year, the EMMA Team has edited the guide ” We are by your side”, which guides families with minors who are victims of sexual violence and also establishes guidelines and educational resources on how to work on affective-sexual education from home.”Let’s not let it be a secret””Aggressors often use the concept of secrecy to manipulate victims and prolong violent situations over time”, explains Mireia Forner, clinical psychologist of the EMMA Team. For this reason, Vall d’Hebron has launched the #UnDeCadaCinc awareness campaign -which refers to the fact that 1 in 5 children and adolescents are victims of sexual violence, according to the Council of Europe. With the slogan “We do not let it be a secret”, Vall d’Hebron wants to contribute Help break the cycle of silence and give families and schools tools to prevent the growth of this type of violence, which proliferates if it is kept hidden out of fear, ignorance or shame. According to Forner, it is necessary that “children understand that if a secret makes them feel bad, keeps them awake, embarrasses them or upsets them, they need to share it with someone, particularly a trusted adult.