The Councilor for Social Welfare of the Consell de Ibiza, Carolina Escandell, and the director of the Center for Prevention and Addictive Behaviors (Cepca), Belén Alvite, presented yesterday at the headquarters of the island government ‘Adolescentes de Ibiza: ni lo tienen claro ni lo tienen fácil’ (‘Adolescents of Ibiza: neither clear nor easy’), the second part of a study in which 1,823 students between 14 and 18 years have participated to address issues such as sexuality and equality in adolescence. Among the data collected, it is worth noting that 79 of the students surveyed confessed to having had sex without consent or that one in three young people have been physically harmed by their partners.
Sexual relations without consent
79 students had sex against their will
Of the sample of 1,823 Ibizan students, 79 (4.3%) confessed that they had had sexual relations against their will: 22 (2.4%) were males; 57 (6.4% of the total) were females. A shocking statistic that, according to Belén Alvite, “is not acceptable”. “Many of them maintained their silence and have only told about it now. They had a traumatic situation that they suffered in solitude”, describes Carolina Escandell. Of these 79 young people, 40.5% were forced by their partner or ex-partner; 38% by their friend or acquaintance, and 20.3% by a stranger. “Many,” Alvite points out, “did not know how to react to a situation for which they had not been prepared,” hence, as both Alvite and the councilor suggested the need for families to inform them in advance: “If not, we leave them in a vulnerable situation.
Violence
One in three young people is physically harmed
35% of boys and 30% of girls responded that their partners had physically harmed them. Interestingly, only 4% of the boys and 2.6% of the girls admitted to having acted violently towards those they were in an affective relationship with. This different perception of reality is also reflected in the question as to whether their partners touched their private parts without consent: 12.1% of men answered yes, compared to 13% of women. But only 6.8% of men admitted that they had behaved in this way, compared to 1.5% of women. In addition, 4.5% of the boys and 7.8% of the girls felt forced to have sexual intercourse. Only 2.8% of boys and 1.3% of girls admit to having provoked this situation of sexual violence.
Who do I tell?
Only 53.6% turn to friends, family or professionals to tell them about their situation
Only 53.6% of the students consulted have told someone that they have suffered a situation of control or physical, psychological or sexual violence. “This is not a bad figure, but it is not what it should be,” says Belén Alvite. Most tell their friends. Mothers are the second resource, followed by fathers, siblings or relatives, health professionals, law enforcement and, lastly, high school educators. Regarding the latter, the Cepca coordinator believes that it is “a pity” that they occupy this position: “It is a ball in the court of education. You don’t have to be an expert in sexuality to talk about these issues. They should take a step forward and generate spaces to be able to talk about these issues”, suggests Alvite.
For the full article, please visit Diario de Ibiza website here.