How to recognise and act on the signs of domestic abuse
While schools are closed and community-based services are suspended, many children and adults will be more isolated, exposed and distanced from vital support networks and at risk of abuse. This comes as hundreds of thousands of children are currently living in homes where they experience and suffer domestic abuse.
Last year the NSPCC’s Helpline made 356 referrals about domestic abuse to agencies including children’s services in the North East and Cumbria alone.
Domestic abuse can take place by any gender, against any gender. It may take place inside, or outside the home, and can even happen online. Usually, it’s discussed as happening in relationships, but it can continue after a relationship has ended. Abuse like this can include making threats, reading private texts, and controlling another person’s finances. Living in a home where domestic abuse happens can have a serious impact on a child or young person’s mental and physical wellbeing, as well as their behaviour. And this can last into adulthood. Domestic abuse can also be used to emotionally abuse the child, as one boy told Childline: “I witnessed domestic abuse. My dad was horrible to my mum. He used to hold her against the wall by the neck if I was naughty.” Whatever the supposed trigger, it is vital that children realise domestic abuse is never justified. It is never their fault. At the NSPCC, we believe there needs to be a legal duty on authorities to provide specialist support for children who live with domestic abuse.
The Domestic Abuse Bill, which was reintroduced to Parliament earlier this year, risks failing children who live with the daily nightmare of violence and coercive control. We are concerned that they will not get the help they need unless the law recognises the impact that domestic abuse has on them.
We can all play our part by checking in with families however we can and reaching out for support and advice from local authorities or the NSPCC Helpline if we have any concerns for a child’s wellbeing.
The first step is recognising the signs. In children; these include anxious behaviours like withdrawal, difficulty learning, and insomnia. However, it can also include anti-social behaviour; like vandalism, bullying, and aggression. If you see the signs, call the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000, email help@nspcc.org.uk or fill in our online form.