THE KIDS TAKEN INTO CARE FROM ONLINE ADDICTS
Smoke and bad teeth also cited
CHILDREN have been put in care because their parents were adjudged to be spending too much time online or watching TV.
Kids’ poor dental care and homes full of cigarette smoke have also been factors leading social workers to take youngsters away from their mum and dad.
Child obesity or a dangerous dog in the family home were cited as reasons too.
Frank Furedi, emeritus professor of sociology at the University of Kent, said: “Unfortunately, with our focus on the internet addiction of children we have overlooked the equally risky behaviour of parents who are digitally chained to their computer.”
The details have been revealed by a Freedom of Information investigation.
The study looked at the first 20 care cases undertaken by each council in England this year.
In Doncaster, South Yorks, there were two instances of children – one aged nine and the other 14 – being taken into care because their parents spent too long on computers or glued to television. It was also a factor in two cases involving Oxfordshire council – one child was three, the other was one.
Anastasia de Waal, director of the I Can Be kids’ charity, said: “Parents often worry about the effect their screentime has on their parenting – especially in the current situation, where many feel constantly half at work after hours via their phone or laptop.
“But the type of parental behaviour being defined as neglect by social workers is likely to be part of a much wider picture of a dysfunctional home environment for children, where their basic needs are not being met.”
Fears about a family’s dog led to a boy aged one being taken into care.
We have overlooked parents chained to computers
PROFESSOR FRANK FUREDI ON FINDINGS