Abuse of children and young people occurs in all social classes and all cultures, including our own. Often acquaintances or neighbors witness violence or make an observation that they interpret as a sign of danger. But professionals who deal with children also become aware of abuse or become aware of suspicions in this regard.

The Child and Youth Service of the Office for Social Services is the point of contact in the event of suspicion or certainty that a child's welfare is at risk. It is part of a well-functioning support system and initiates child protection measures to safeguard the interests of the child and ensure the child's welfare.

With this in mind, the Child and Youth Service supported the "Gewalt-FREI erziehen" (Raising children free from violence) awareness campaign run by KINDERLOBBY LIECHTENSTEIN. Help from specialists, details of advice centers and further information can be found at www.gewaltfrei.li.

What does child endangerment mean?

Child endangerment is a term that is made up of various factors (type of endangerment, age of the child, duration, frequency, extent, support options, etc.). These factors must be examined and assessed on a case-by-case basis. A distinction is usually made between the following forms of child endangerment:

- Physical violence
- Mental violence
- Sexual abuse
- Neglect
- Witnessing violence between parents

The Child and Youth Service looks for solutions appropriate to the situation and age of children at risk and implements appropriate measures, if possible in close cooperation with the parents and with the involvement of the social environment. This can include outpatient support of various kinds, but also the placement of children in foster families or in educational-therapeutic facilities.

In rare cases, official measures relating to custody of the child may be necessary.

A separate specialist group has been set up for the problem area of sexual abuse. Counseling by the specialist group is anonymous on request: Link to the specialist group