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NSPCC reports 200% increase in helpline calls about emotional abuse

The NSPCC has called on the government to commission a UK study into child abuse and neglect.
Child abuse

An NSPCC report has highlighted a 200% increase in calls to the charity’s helpline about the emotional abuse of children

Child abuse
RCN professional lead for children and young people’s nursing Fiona Smith warned that children’s
services are falling ‘further down the government’s list of priorities’. Picture: iStock

The document How safe are our children? shows that in 2016-17 the helpline received 10,009 reports compared to 3,341 reports in 2009-10.

The charity believes the full scale of the problem could be much greater and has demanded the government commissions a study into the extent of child abuse and neglect in the UK.

There were 66,218 contacts made to the NSPCC helpline in 2016-17, a 21% increase since 2015-16.

Contacts about abuse have risen by 56% over the past five years and of these contacts, the NSPCC has seen the largest increase in concerns about neglect and emotional abuse.

Serious problem

RCN professional lead for children and young people’s nursing Fiona Smith warned that children’s services are falling ‘further down the government’s list of priorities’.

Ms Smith said: ‘This report has brought to light a serious problem as emotional abuse can be hard to spot.

‘School nurses and health visitors are often the first port of call for children in need of support – but as staff numbers fall, more children are having to go without the help they need.  

‘Every child needs someone they can trust to help them with difficult issues. It’s time the government recognises just how vital these services are to the well-being of our children.’


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