Child abuse referrals to NSPCC soar in the South East
Calls about neglect have almost doubled during lockdown
Child abuse referrals in the South East have increased by nearly 80% since lockdown, according to the NSPCC.
The charity says almost a third of those made since April are about child neglect.
The NSPCC is highlighting the vital role its team of professionals and volunteer counsellors will play to support children over the festive period, urging the public to support its Here for Children Christmas Appeal.
The children’s charity reveals how concerns about child abuse across the UK have soared since national lockdown measures were first introduced – with the monthly average number of contacts to the charity’s helpline on the issue increasing by 43%.
Since April, the helpline has received 31,359 contacts from adults UK-wide anxious about child abuse or neglect, referring half (50%) of these on to external agencies like the police and social services to take further action.
Ciara* from Brighton is one of those sharing her story ahead of Christmas. She had a chaotic upbringing with a mum who had substance misuse problems and bi-polar, often being left to fend for herself and parent her siblings.
They didn’t attend school regularly due to her mum not being capable of keeping a routine and spending days in bed. Ciara and her sister would often sit in the pub for hours watching their mother drink. She struggled with school, feeling like the outsider and had a difficult time understanding what was going on at home.
She has now rebuilt relationships with her younger siblings and is speaking out to help children with parents with addiction and mental health problems feel less isolated in their experiences.
Ciara said:
“Christmas has always been pretty bittersweet for me. When I was young and Christmas would be alternated between my dad's and my mum's house each year, I would dread the ones that were at my mum's.
"There were the little things like, for some reason Santa wouldn't wrap up the presents in our stockings when we were at mum's but he did if we were at dad's. Then there were the bigger things, like the shouting, the arguments and being filled with dread as soon as I saw mum having a glass of wine.
"As I got older and started being able to make my own decisions about where I spent Christmas, there was a very heavy guilt that was ever-present when I decided not to be with my mum, and then if I did concede to the guilt and agree to go there for even a small amount of time, there was a heavy dread and fear.
"I remember feeling quite abandoned when my dad or step-mum would drive away, leaving my sister and I there standing outside our mum's house, as though they had driven us into a warzone and said 'okay, see you later'.
"Christmas has always been something I half looked forward to and half dreaded, and then it turned into a part of the year that I just wanted to be over. I still struggle with feelings of envy and resentment towards friends and my partner who are able to just look forward to spending time with their family and have the same Christmas routine every year.
"I tend to just want to go somewhere very far away at Christmas so I don't have to face all the heightened emotions and memories."
The NSPCC has analysed its data from April to November and has found that the level of concern about emotional abuse, neglect, and physical abuse UK-wide remains well above the pre-pandemic average.
Contacts from adults across the UK about children experiencing emotional abuse saw the biggest spike, rising by 82% when compared to pre-lockdown levels.
Worries about children suffering neglect and physical abuse have also increased by well over a third and were the two most common forms of abuse that people shared concerns about.
As the festive period fast approaches, the NSPCC has issued the findings as a warning that Christmas can be a very difficult time for children suffering abuse and neglect, and the impact of the Coronavirus could put even more children at risk.
To help protect children stuck at home in environments that are not safe, the charity is urging the public to search “NSPCC” and donate £20 via it’s Here for Children Christmas appeal page.
Kamaljit Thandi, Head of NSPCC helpline said:
“These figures highlight the increase in the number of adults reaching out with concerns about the welfare of children since the first national lockdown began.
“It’s no secret that this Christmas is going to be a very different one and for thousands of children, being stuck at home for the holidays will be a terrifying thought. At the NSPCC, we know how important it is that people have the opportunity to speak up when they think a child is at risk of abuse and neglect. Our helpline for adults and Childline will be open every day over the festive period.”
The charity’s team of professionals working on its helpline for concerned adults and the dedicated volunteer counsellors at Childline will all play a vital role in being here for children this Christmas.
Children can call Childline on 0800 11 11 from 7.30am to midnight from Monday to Friday or 9am to midnight on weekends. Or they can get in touch via www.childline.org.uk.