A recent survey found that most adults in the UK believe that childhood emotional abuse can have a lasting impact, affecting people well into adulthood. But, despite acknowledging the seriousness of childhood emotional abuse, 1 in 6 adults could not correctly identify the signs. The YouGov survey, commissioned by the NSPCC, found that a...
Police record more than 100 child sexual abuse image crimes a day
It has been revealed that police forces record an average of more than 100 child sexual abuse image offences each day. Data recently released by the Home Office shows that police forces across England and Wales recorded a total of 38,685 child sexual abuse image offences in the year from 1st April 2023 –...
Calls for child safety checks on generative AI products
Almost 4 in 5 adults want child safety checks on new generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) products, according to a recent poll. The NSPCC says that polling reveals that 78% of the UK public would opt for child safety checks on the new technology, which uses AI to generate new content, including images and...
Anxiety is the top mental health concern for children
Childline has revealed that almost 1 in 4 children who undergo counselling sessions for mental health are struggling with anxiety. The charity helpline delivered over 6,600 counselling sessions related to anxiety in the 6 months between April and October 2024 (the first half of 2024-25). This represented 24% of all counselling sessions the helpline...
Low-income families struggle to access early childhood services
The NSPCC has warned that families on low incomes in the UK are missing out on vital support as they struggle to access early childhood services. In a new report with the UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK), the national children’s charity reveals that families living in poverty experience barriers to accessing early childhood...
Rise in concerns about children experiencing domestic abuse
The NSPCC has revealed that concerns about children experiencing domestic abuse have risen by a fifth. The national children’s charity saw a surge in people contacting its Helpline with concerns about children experiencing domestic abuse, fielding almost 4,000 concerns of this nature between April and September 2024. This represents a 19% increase in concerns...
NSPCC shares parent and child views on smartphones
The NSPCC has asked parents and young people how they feel about the impact of smartphones and social media on child safety and wellbeing. Young people told the NSPCC that they feel trying to keep them away from smartphones and social media was unrealistic in an online world, and that having a phone to...
Online grooming crimes reach ‘record levels’ in the UK
Online grooming crimes against children have reached record levels across the UK, with the number of offences surpassing 7,000 for the first time, according to new data released by the NSPCC. The national children’s charity is calling for more “ambitious regulation” to make online platforms safer for children and young people. Data compiled by...
NSPCC reports rise in sextortion contacts
NSPCC has reported that their Childline service has seen a marked increase in the number of contacts they receive about sextortion. The confidential charity helpline provided over 900 counselling sessions for children concerned about sextortion – online sexual extortion – during 2023-24. This represents a 7% increase from 2022-23. During this same period, the...
NSPCC calls for early years support to better protect young children
The NSPCC is calling on the government to invest in early years’ services to ensure we are “keeping the youngest children safe from harm”. The national children’s charity has spoken out after data showed that almost 4 in 10 of its Helpline referrals involved children aged 5 and under. The NSPCC said that their...
Youth group to advise on child safety online
A new group of young people has been set up to advise politicians, regulators, parents and professionals about child safety online. The Voice of Online Youth group consists of 15 young people aged 13-16 from across the UK. They were selected based on their passion for helping children to remain safe online. The group...
Thousands of young people seek support for gender and sexuality
Childline marked Pride Month by highlighting the “crucial” support it offers to thousands of children and young people with concerns about gender and sexuality each year. National children’s charity the NSPCC, which operates Childline, had a presence at Pride events in Britain to remind young people that it offers free, impartial and non-judgmental support...
Childline warns about increase in emotional abuse
As Childhood Day 2024 approaches on 7th June, Childline has raised concerns about a spike in the number of children contacting them about emotional abuse. Operated by the NSPCC, the national charity helpline for children says it has seen a 5% increase in the number of counselling sessions it has delivered to children experiencing...
Childline: Children struggling with feelings of unhappiness
Childline has revealed that it receives nearly 40 contacts per day from children who are struggling with feelings of unhappiness and low mood. The national charity helpline, operated by the NSPCC, delivered 14,253 counselling sessions last year for children who were struggling with low mood and unhappiness, leading them to launch a new campaign...
Child abuse image crimes increase by 25%
The NSPCC says new figures show that child abuse image crimes increased by 25% in 2022-23. The national children’s charity obtained data from UK police forces which revealed that police recorded more than 33,000 child abuse image crimes last year. These included offences where images were collected and distributed. When comparing data to figures...