Rise in child domestic abuse during pandemic, NSPCC finds

More than 50 child protection referrals for domestic abuse are made every day in the South East. 

Findings by the NSPCC show a 38% increase from the previous year - with nearly 20,000 referrals made in the region in the last year.

The charity said these figures are the 'tip of the iceberg' as domestic abuse often goes unreported.

Police made on average 53 child protection referrals a day for domestic abuse to social services across Kent, Sussex, and Hampshire last year, and 669 in England and Wales.

New NSPCC analysis of data from Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) shows there were 19,622 referrals in the South East in 2020/21, an 38% increase from the previous year.

In England and Wales there was an 8% increase to 244,197 referrals in 2020/21.

This tallies with figures from the NSPCC helpline last year, which saw a record number of contacts during the pandemic about domestic abuse from adults concerned about the wellbeing of a child.

Domestic abuse can affect a child's confidence and sense of security day to day and can have a devastating impact on their emotional wellbeing and mental health.

The risk of this happening was exacerbated during the pandemic as children were trapped in homes experiencing abuse and largely cut off from vital support networks during lockdowns.

Terri White, journalist, author and former editor of Empire magazine, lived in an abusive home as a child. Both herself and her mother suffered serious and sustained physical and sexual abuse at the hands of her mother's partners.

She said: "I lived through violence as a child and can testify to the physical, emotional and mental trauma you're left with which can be life-long. That trauma has taken me decades to work through.

"I spent years battling self-harm, addiction and severe mental health issues. I felt like I was nothing. And there will be kids today like me - kids who will be scarred and devastated by their experiences, who live their life in fear - suffering abuse in their own homes, who will feel exactly the same.

"But with support, through the Victims Law, right there in their own communities, they can begin to recover. They can live happy, fear-free, healthy lives."

Last week marked the start of children being officially recognised as victims of domestic abuse as part of the Domestic Abuse Act.

The NSPCC hopes this will make it more likely that their needs are considered by professionals on the frontline such as social workers and police.

However, the NSPCC remains concerned that this alone will not ensure enough support is in place for children.

Anna Edmundson, NSPCC Head of Policy and Public Affairs, said: "Sadly, we know these figures are the tip of the iceberg as domestic abuse often goes unreported.

"Domestic abuse can derail a childhood and it is unacceptable that support to recover remains patchy across the country, and what is available risks being axed by cash-strapped councils.

"We urge Dominic Raab to use the Victim's Law to address this and ensure young victims of domestic abuse have easy access to professional services within their community so they can rebuild their lives no matter where they live."