ABSTRACT
The family should be a secure and caring community, but it may easily become the scene of the most brutal acts too. Family violence has resulted in some children's deaths in Hungary. Despite the many child abuse cases in Hungary, the deaths and suffering of these children are not enough to raise public awareness about child victims. Since 1991 the number of children at risk increased sharply as the economic situation declined. Most families' living conditions have got worse and the unemployment rate has risen. Despite the many child abuse cases in Hungary, the deaths and suffering of these children have increased. The legal means for protecting children can as a matter of practice be grouped into two parts: child protection by civil law and child protection by criminal law. In Hungary, state protection of children and youth applies to all children from birth to 18 who are 'at risk'.
