EMOTIONAL ABUSE OF KIDS TREBLES IN 7YRS

NSPCC calls for Uk-wide review to guage how many at risk

REPORTS of kids being emotionally abused have more than trebled here in seven years, campaigners said yesterday. The NSPCC’S annual report How Safe Are Our Children found since 2009/10 the number of calls its helpline received from people concerned about kids risen from 28 to 100 in Northern Ireland. In the UK as a whole and from 3341 to 10,009 across the UK as a whole. However, the charity fears that the full scale of the problem could be much greater and is a Uk-wide study to look at the prevalence of abuse and neglect. Helpline staff are hearing accounts of parents telling their children they hate them or wished they were dead, threatening them with extreme violence and blaming them for issues they are facing themselves such as unemployment or financial problems. Neil Anderson, head of NSPCC in Northern Ireland said: “The increase in people recognising and reporting emotional abuse to our Helpline indicates people are willing to take action, but the disturbing truth is in Northern Ireland we have no idea how many other children are suffering from emotional abuse or in fact, any type of abuse. We urgently need the Executive with the UK Government and other devolved nations to and commission a study that gives us the clearest picture of the extent of child abuse and neglect in the UK.” The NSPCC has published advice on signs you may notice in a child’s actions or emotions if they are suffering: They may be overly-affectionate to strangers or people they haven’t known for very long The child may lack confidence or become wary or anxious or be aggressive or nasty towards other children and/or animals They may struggle to control strong emotions or have extreme outbursts.

VULNERABLE Child at risk