Number of children living with domestic abuse up by 25 per cent says NSPCC
‘Domestic abuse creates a corrosive environment at home which can put children at huge risk of physical and emotional harm,’ says charity
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Your support makes all the difference.The number of children living in homes with domestic abuse has risen by a quarter in the last year, new figures from the NSPCC show.
The child safety charity said it had passed on 6,642 reports from members of the public and professionals who were concerned about a child living with domestic violence via its helpline in 2019.
The figure is an increase of 25 per cent compared to the previous year, when 5,322 referrals were made.
But many of these referrals – 10 each day – were made to services that have no legal duty to provide support to children living in homes with domestic abuse.
More than half (57 per cent) were made to children’s services, 42 per cent to police forces and one per cent to other agencies.
In light of the figures, the NSPCC is urging the government to make local authorities and agencies obliged by law to provide support to children living in homes with domestic abuse.
Emily Hilton, senior policy and public affairs officer at the NSPCC, said: “Domestic abuse creates a corrosive environment at home which can put children at huge risk of physical and emotional harm, as well as affecting their long-term mental health.
“Our helpline is increasingly having to raise the alarm with local authorities about children living with domestic abuse.
“But without legal recognition of the impact domestic abuse has on children and a duty on local authorities to provide support services, the help they need is just not in place.”
A woman in her early 20s from Wales named Jess told Press Association that the domestic abuse she witnessed at home perpetrated by her father will have an impact on her forever.
“I was six the first time I saw him hit mum,” she said.
“I have anxiety now and can’t be in noisy environments.
“It will affect me for the rest of my life but I want to raise awareness of domestic abuse and how it can affect children as well as adults.”
If you are experiencing domestic abuse you can call the National Domestic Violence Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
If you’re worried about a child, or you work with children and need advice or information, you can call the NSPCC’s helpline on 0808 800 5000.
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