Lisbon, June 8, 2026 (Lusa) - The non-governmental organisation Aldeias de Crianças SOS (SOS Children’s Villages) launched the “Because it matters” campaign to raise awareness of the impact of parental conflict on children’s development.

In a statement, the NGO pointed out that this experience can have “long-lasting effects” on children’s mental health, relationships and development, although it remains “a topic rarely discussed in public debate”.

“When a child grows up exposed to this type of conflict, their emotional, relational, and even physical development can be deeply affected, which also constitutes a form of neglect,” it said, adding that “scientific evidence shows that continued exposure to parental conflict is associated with a higher risk of anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, and health problems throughout life.”

“Experiences of adversity in childhood have lasting effects throughout life: they cease to be merely a matter for the child or the family and become a challenge for society, public health and communities. In the long term, acting during childhood means creating positive, collective change,” according to the Director-General of Aldeias de Crianças SOS, Guida Mendes Bernardo, quoted in the press release.

Arguing that protecting children is everyone’s responsibility and encompasses more than preventing physical violence, the organisation aims, through the campaign, to help place the issue on the public agenda, “promoting collective reflection on the protection of vulnerable children in Portugal”.

Present in Portugal since 1964, Aldeias de Crianças SOS works to protect children and young people and to strengthen families, through initiatives that seek to prevent dangerous situations, support parenting, promote safe environments for growth, and ensure that every child can develop with love, respect and security.

PAL/ADB // ADB.

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