"Our report compiles and analyses the most robust and up-to-date child protection data that exists across the 4 nations in the UK for 2017.
The report sets out 20 different indicators. Each indicator looks at the question of 'how safe are our children?' from a different perspective. They also include historic data, to help track progress over time."
Key Findings:
This year's report explains what the available data tells us about the current child protection landscape. It also highlights our call for a new UK-wide prevalence survey to give the clearest possible picture of the extent of child abuse and neglect.
- In recent years there has been an increase in emotional abuse as a reason for children being on a child protection plan or register in England and Wales, and increasing numbers of contacts to the NSPCC helpline about the issue.
- There has been an increase in public reporting of child abuse. In 2016/17 the NSPCC helpline responded to its highest ever number of contacts.
- There have also been increases in police-recorded child sexual offences and indecent image offences across the UK and increases in child cruelty and neglect offences in all UK nations except Scotland.
- The last decade has also seen increased numbers of children on child protection plans and registers and increased numbers of looked after children in the UK.
- But, without a new survey of child maltreatment prevalence we lack a clear picture of the extent of child abuse and neglect today. That’s why we are calling on the UK Government to commission a new UK-wide study.
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