Rise in suspected child abuse referrals

Date: 17th October 2016
Category: Children in situations of exploitation

NSPCC Scotland say referrals of suspected child abuse from their helpline to police and social services have risen by 58% in the past 3 years.

The NSPCC in Scotland said operators referred 1,722 calls to the police and social services in 2015-2016.

Referred calls have risen by 58% in the past three years, up from 1,091 in 2012-2013. Concerns raised included worries about physical or sexual abuse, children living in poverty, and hungry toddlers. NSPCC Scotland said the rise in referrals showed the public was increasingly unwilling to turn a blind eye to potential abuse or neglect of children, following high-profile abuse scandals.

The 24-hour helpline statistics show physical abuse referrals increased by 49% in the past three years. Sexual abuse referrals rose by 30% and neglect referrals jumped by 61% over the same period.

• More information on the NSPCC website can be found here.