According to statistics on people seeking assistance at the One-Stop Crisis Centre of the Public Health Ministry, between 2007 and 2015 the total number of violence victims who were children and women was about 207,891, divided into 105,622 cases involving children and 102,269 cases where women were the victims.

In 2016, the number of distressed children and women seeking assistance from the centre was 20,018, the NESDB said.

Negligence by family members and lack of proper care were the main causes of sexual abuses among children, which were mostly committed by those who were close to and trusted by the victims, such as boyfriends, followed by non-romantic friends.

As for adult female victims, the main causes were negative family relationships, infidelity, jealously and disputes. Those who committed such violence were usually spouses, followed by boyfriends, according to a report on Thailand’s social development released on Monday by the NESDB.