The Child Welfare Council presented President Herzog with annual data from 2021, which shows a significant increase in the number of children seeking mental health care, suicide rates among young people, as well as reports of sexual and non-sexual attacks against children and youths.
The data shows that 1 out of 3 children in Israel lives in poverty. In addition, there was a 47% increase in the number of sexual offenses against minors in 2021, compared to the number of cases opened in 2019.
Between these years, there was also an uptick of about 44% in the number of children and youths treated in regional centers for sexual injuries.