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The Ministry of Education and Culture in Cyprus has expressed worry about a rise in reports of children being sexually abused by family members and others in the community.
In a statement Thursday, the ministry stressed the need to distinguish sexual abuse from other misbehavior seen in schools and society. It noted that many cases of sexual abuse happen outside of schools.
The ministry criticized the focus on just a few incidents of violence and delinquency in schools, saying it can create wrong ideas about schools and the families of the kids involved. It said this can make it harder to deal with the problem.
The ministry said schools act quickly to handle violence, denying claims that schools can't control it.
It also said schools and teachers play a big part in reporting sexual abuse cases to the police, showing how important schools are in finding and stopping sexual violence.
The ministry said schools teach kids to avoid violence and bad behavior, starting from a young age.
It also warned against downplaying the problem of youth violence and said it shouldn't be used for political reasons.
The ministry's statement comes as people worry more about kids' safety in schools and communities, calling for action to tackle the problems causing this behavior.
Source: Announcements
