27% Rise in Child Abuse Cases Reported During First Lockdown

285 serious incident notifications of child abuse cases were received by the Child Safeguarding Review Panel, according to recently published figures.

Compared to the same period in the year prior, this is a 27% increase. Unfortunately, this comes after a fall in numbers between 2018/19 and 2019/20, specifically being recorded after the country entered its first lockdown at the end of March 2020.

Cases are notified by local authorities by order, when serious harm or death is suspected to have been caused by neglect or abuse. it is also required that Ofted and the education secretary are informed, regardless of the cause of death.

• 54% of child abuse cases related to boys

• Almost two-thirds related to white children

• Over one-third involved children under a year old

There were 119 deaths and 153 incidents of serious harm, alongside 13 incidents listed as ‘other’. Two-thirds of these cases occurred with children living at home, and there was a small rise in cases amongst foster children and youngsters living in children’s’ homes.

The likelihood is that the spike may be down to increased time being spent stuck at home by children in already difficult situations, with furloughed or newly-unemployed parents home much longer than usual. Many services were also rendered interrupted for various reasons at the time, such as access to social workers or teachers who might normally pick up on signs of abuse in the home.

Irnya Pona, The Children’s Society‘s policy manager stated:

“Sadly, children also continued to be targeted and groomed by people outside their families for sexual and criminal exploitation like county lines drug dealing operations, which can lead to serious violence or death.”

In response to these findings, a Government spokesperson stated:

“Today we have launched a wholescale review of children’s social care to reform the system and think afresh about how we support the most vulnerable. This data will provide important information to the care review to help address major challenges.”

I’m receiving abuse at home, what should I do?

In an emergency, do not hesitate to call 999.

If you are worried about an abusive partner or family member and you don’t know where to turn, you can also contact the National Domestic Abuse Helpline and speak via phone or live messenger to receive confidential, impartial advice.