Children and young people are becoming more frequent victims of violence, as shown by the case numbers of victim support services. Kristin Busch and her child and youth counseling team support those affected and advise professionals. She also knows what additional services need to be created so that young people can grow up in a stable environment.
Child abuse in Zurich: figures at an all-time high
570 cases of child abuse were confirmed in the canton of Zurich last year – more than ever before. (Tages-Anzeiger, February 3, 2026)
“If violence is part of the parenting style, it always harms the child”: The number of child abuse cases is on the rise.
Once again, more children were abused in 2025 than in the previous year, according to figures from Zurich Children’s Hospital. (NZZ, February 5, 2026)
Unfortunately, the trend illustrated by these two Zurich media reports can also be observed in north-western Switzerland: In 2025, the counselors of the child and youth violence team of the victim support service of the beider Basel recorded an above-average increase in the number of cases. While there were 506 new cases of children and young people affected by violence in 2024, 631 new cases were registered one year later. This corresponds to an increase of 25%.
When Kristin Busch, team leader of child and youth counseling at Opferhilfe beider Basel, began her counseling work 14 years ago, around 200 new cases were added each year. She says that the increase in 2025 clearly exceeds all previous developments. The challenge facing the team of five counselors was correspondingly great.
Providing safety
In addition to the consultations at the advice center, numerous on-site consultations also took place – for example in schools, together with or on the initiative of the school social services, as well as in child and youth welfare institutions. Behind the high number of cases are also many counseling sessions with specialists from schools, institutions and other specialist agencies. If children or young people have experienced or witnessed violence, this understandably causes uncertainty and great concern among the professionals who deal with them.
Contacting our advice center shows that the child protection support system works and that the dual control principle is used to jointly examine and initiate helpful support options. The awareness of professionals and society as a whole has increased significantly in recent years. It is now important to supplement this development with further and sufficiently available support services.
Lack of services
Kirstin Busch often finds that it is very challenging to find satisfactory solutions for children and young people affected by violence. There is often a lack of available therapy places and other offers of help. It is particularly difficult to find a suitable connection or support for adolescents and young adults.
Furthermore, in Kristin Busch’s opinion, the need for specific shelters for children, adolescents and young adults is still insufficiently covered. On the one hand, existing child and youth welfare services cannot always guarantee the necessary protection, and on the other hand, shelters for young adults are often not geared towards their specific needs. There is still a clear need for action in this regard.
Training courses in demand
The need for training has risen sharply in parallel with the growth in cases. We have received numerous requests from teachers for their school classes who would like to discuss and work on relevant topics in class. At the same time, institutions are also requesting training courses for their employees in order to gain more confidence in recognizing and dealing with violence in children and young people.
Great social importance
For Kirstin Busch, it is therefore of central importance to further expand support for children and young people as well as professionals. Important development processes can be initiated and personal and social resources strengthened, particularly in childhood and adolescence. This requires the joint commitment of various social actors and close interdisciplinary cooperation. The aim must be to create framework conditions that enable children and young people to grow up in a stable, safe environment and in reliable relationships. A healthy and resilient young generation forms a central basis for the long-term well-being of society.
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Children and young people are becoming more frequent victims of violence, as shown by the case numbers of victim support services. Kristin Busch and her child and youth counseling team support those affected and advise professionals. She also knows what additional services need to be created so that young people can grow up in a stable environment.
Children and young people are becoming more frequent victims of violence, as shown by the case numbers of victim support services. Kristin Busch and her child and youth counseling team support those affected and advise professionals. She also knows what additional services need to be created so that young people can grow up in a stable environment.
When children and young people experience domestic or sexualized violence, it has a massive impact on their development. The FHNW is now offering a CAS program on this subject. It imparts practical knowledge and provides professionals with guidance on how to professionally assess risk and provide support.
At night and at weekends, the number is operated by Dargebotene Hand beider Basel.
The Dargebotene Hand provides basic counseling and, if necessary, refers the victim to the day service for counseling.
Victim Support beider Basel is available 24/7
Tel: +41 61 205 09 10
