In light of several high profile child abuse cases, the NSPCC is advising adults who may have concerns about the welfare of a child to phone their helpline.<\/p>\n
In a 2008 survey it was revealed that 59 percent of people may not phone the helpline in case they were wrong about the situation. Some 14 per cent were worried what may happen to the child if they did call, and a further 14 per cent were not confident that the call would make things better.<\/p>\n
Last year the NSPCC did receive 73,000 calls from adults who were concerned about a child. Worries included physical and sexual abuse, neglect and mental health. More than 10,000 of the calls were so serious that they had to be referred to the police or children’s services. A third of all the referrals made across the UK were about individuals not previously known to the authorities.<\/p>\n
Head of the NSPCC Helpline, John Cameron said: \u201cHigh profile child protection cases like those of Baby Peter and the rape of a two-year-old girl result in widespread public feelings of concern and frustration. But there is something individual adults can do. By being the eyes, ears and voice of a helpless young child, neighbours, families and friends can prevent or stop that child suffering.<\/p>\n
\u201cA child may not be able to call the police, children\u2019s services or our Helpline. An adult can. That’s why adults who may be worried that a child is being abused must know who to turn to and access that help and advice.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome people worry they have got the signs wrong, or that by reporting their concerns they will make things worse for the child and their family. Our Helpline advisors are trained child protection professionals who can assess the concerns people describe to us and can take appropriate action on their behalf.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes they\u2019ll provide advice and guidance, at other times they will need to make a referral. Every call is different, but all the advice we give and, where necessary, every action we take is in the best interests of the child concerned.\u00a0 A critical part of our role is to prevent abuse before it happens.\u201d<\/p>\n
The NSPCC is planning to grow the helpline and the ChildLine service so that it can protect more children. They will do this through the Child’s Voice Appeal, and need to raise an extra \u00a350 million in the next three years to do so.<\/p>\n
The NSPCC lists a range of signs of abuse to look out for including:<\/p>\n
A child who is often bruised or injured, including in unusual places
\nSignificantly changed behaviour, e.g. aggression or becoming withdrawn
\nUnexplained or changeable emotions
\nSudden loss of weight
\nBecoming unusually dirty, smelly, hungry, or under or over-dressed for the time of year Sexual knowledge or behaviour inappropriate for the child\u2019s age
\nFear of particular adults or a reluctance to be alone with them.<\/p>\n
The charity says these are not the only signs and that some of them may not be caused by abuse. If you have any worries about a child you should contact the police, children\u2019s services or the NSPCC Helpline for support and advice.<\/p>\n
If anyone has any concerns about a child\u2019s welfare they can ring the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or email help@nspcc.org.uk. For further information, or to donate to the Child\u2019s Voice Appeal, visit www.childsvoiceappeal.org.uk<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In light of several high profile child abuse cases, the NSPCC is advising adults who may have concerns about the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"colormag_page_container_layout":"default_layout","colormag_page_sidebar_layout":"default_layout","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2460","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bristol-news"],"yoast_head":"\n