There has been an increase of 30% in requests for assistance for physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, including victims of war, the Israel Association for Child Protection (ELI) announced Sunday.
Of the total referrals received by ELI in 2023, 16.5% were for survivors of the October 7 massacre. Another 14%, 1,730 total, were due to the war.
ELI provided therapeutic assistance to 12,090 individuals, it said, including complex trauma relief, to over 2,000 survivors and evacuees in 2023.
“This increase in referrals is of serious concern,” ELI’s president, Eran Zimrin, stated. “The Swords of Iron war and the increased time spent at home was a major factor in the increase in the number of referrals of incidents of sexual and physical violence in the family.”
Included among the 12,090 individuals who were provided support was immediate emergency complex trauma relief given to 700 children and 1,300 adults from Gaza border communities.
Zimrin, ELI’s founder, has called for the use of ELI’s emergency funds to provide immediate treatment for the complex trauma of 2,000 evacuees and survivors of terrorist attacks, including foreign workers, 200 older adults, and 40 Holocaust survivors.
Data on those requesting support
“In conjunction with ELI’s normal activities, we now have tens of thousands of Israeli children who are dealing with complex trauma and post-trauma. The State of Israel is obligated to provide them with a long-term rehabilitation and mental resilience support program,” Zimrin said.In the past year, the number of referrals for girls increased by 2%, and approximately 54% of total referrals were for girls. Referrals for boys decreased by approximately 2%, and represent 46% of the referrals.Referrals for sexual harassment for 2023 reached 7,864, 65.1% of the referrals, the highest percentage of the total.Of those who were sexually abused, 41% were abused by a child, while 38.4% were by an adult.