New data published on child-protection indicators across the four nations

Date: 12th July 2017
Category: Protection from abuse or neglect

NSPCC have published their 'How safe are our children?' report for 2017 which compiles and analyses the most robust and up-to-date child protection data that exists across the four nations of the UK.

The report looks at data across twenty different indicators to measure the extent of abuse and neglect experienced by children and young people in the UK. Indicators include the number of child homicides recorded by police, child suicides, referrals to social services and the number of looked after children registered in the UK.

The report also includes historic data to help track progress over time. The indicators make it clear where there have been changes in both Scotland and UK-wide since the last UK child abuse and neglect prevalence survey, which occurred in 2009. For example:

• The number of children being added to a child-protection register has increased by 20% in Scotland
• The number of police-recorded sexual offences against under 16s has increased by 68% in Scotland. However, they have increased by 156% and 112% in Wales and England respectively.
• Scotland has seen a 57% decrease in the number of police-recorded cruelty and neglect offences, the only one of the four nations to do so.
• Read the full report here.