Prevalence and prevention of violence against children and adolescents in volunteer work: analysis of a sub-sample from a representative survey of Germany.

backgroundViolence against children and adolescents, including physical, emotional, and sexual maltreatment as well as neglect, is a global issue that has long-term consequences. This violence can occur in various institutions, including children and youth clubs (CACs), where proximity to children may be exploited. Although some studies have documented violence in CACs (VCAC), its full extent often remains unrecognized. Despite ongoing prevention efforts, data on the successful implementation of those efforts are lacking. Since protection of VCAC and support of those affected is crucial, this study aimed to determine VCAC prevalence rates, the frequency of measures for protecting children and adolescents from VCAC as well as supporting them, and their relationship to feelings of safety in a German sample.

methodsFrom October 2023 to March 2024, a representative sample of 2,513 people aged 16 years and older in Germany was surveyed. The survey collected sociodemographic information and details on voluntary activities in CACs, focusing on experiences with VCAC and safeguarding measures. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the sample and VCAC prevalence, regressions were used to examine perceptions of protective measures and subjective well-being. The study adhered to ethical guidelines and was approved by the University of Leipzig's Ethics Committee.

resultsAmong 954 respondents which were active in CACs 819 were looked after as child/adolescent, of those 8.42% experienced VCAC - 6.22% emotional, 5.74% physical, and 1.10% sexual violence. The most common protective measures included discussions about violence (42.49%) and complaint procedures (29.06%). Experience with VCAC were negative associated with perceived protective measures and subjective well-being. Subjective well-being was positive associated with VCAC taken seriously in the CACs.

conclusionsThese findings highlight the importance of CACs for the development of children and adolescents. However, 7% of people involved in CACs experience at least one form of VCAC, which indicates that there is still room for improvement in the protection of children and adolescents. Furthermore, existing prevention measures are often still insufficiently known, which points to a communication gap. This finding highlights the importance of mandatory safeguarding measures and better training for volunteers to effectively safeguard children and adolescents in CACs.