Children's mental health a growing concern for Dorset parents
Over 40% of South West parents are worried about emotional wellbeing
More than 40% of parents in Dorset are worried about their children's mental health - according to the NSPCC.
The charity said calls to their helpline from concerned parents in the South West increased by a fifth last year.
Between April 2023 and December 2023, the charity dealt with 2,499 child welfare contacts about child mental and emotional health.
This is a 21% increase compared to the same time frame in 2022.
In a recent survey the charity found issues such as mental health, bullying, and social media were the top parenting concerns across the UK.
The charity also found 57% adults believed parenting now is harder than when they were children.
Maherush Khan, NSPCC South West campaigns officer, said:
"We have seen a lot more calls to our child-line reporting problems around mental health, social media, and bullying.
"Parents of young children are very concerned. And with the rise of technology it can be harder for parents to keep on top of everything.
"Through social media there are different ways children are getting bullied. Even when they leave school the bullying doesn't end there."
Following their survey, the NSPCC are launching a new campaign which aims to help make the expertise and guidance they offer more accessible and user-friendly.