The research data shows that
Society expects tough action to protect children and adolescents
There was a national outrage when a – nearly forty years old – pedagogical assistant at an elementary school in Budapest explained in a video post that he was having sexual relations with a 15-year-old boy. In view of the case, Századvég has mapped out what the population thinks about adults or educators having sex with minors, addressing the issue of tightening the relevant legal regulations.
The Hungarian population condemns relations that pose a threat to the development of children and adolescents
two-thirds (66 percent) of those surveyed have heard that a male teacher at an elementary school in the capital was dismissed from his job the other day because he declared in a post published on his social media account that he was having sexual relations with a 15-year-old boy.
It can be concluded that the public considers it crucial to ensure the proper intellectual and moral development of children and adolescents, and therefore uniformly rejects the establishment and maintenance of sexual relations that endanger them.
Accordingly,
95 percent of Hungarians do not consider it acceptable for an adult to have sexual relations with a 15-year-old juvenile, and 96 percent are opposed to a teacher having such a relationship with a juvenile entrusted to them.
Further tightening of child protection legislation is justified
Pedagogical activity plays a decisive role in the healthy development of children and juveniles; therefore, the staff of public educational institutions have an increased responsibility for the protection of people under the age of 18. As a result, it is not surprising that, according to the survey,
68 percent of respondents consider it necessary to further tighten the law in order to protect children and juveniles and prevent similar cases.
Methodology
CATI method, n=1000, among the Hungarian adult population, data collection: February 2023