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...
New briefing reveals concerns about in-patient mental health care for children
The NSPCC has published a new briefing about young people’s experiences of in-patient mental health care after a sharp increase in the number of children contacting Childline about this issue. The Helplines Insight Briefing reveals that children and young people often feel as though they’re not being listened to when they’re admitted to, cared...
75% of parents of young children worry for their mental health
New research shows that 3 in 4 UK parents with pre-school aged children worry about their mental health and wellbeing. A recent survey carried out by the NSPCC found that UK parents are anxious about their child’s mental health as well as issues such as social media use and bullying. The issue that parents...
Parental alcohol misuse impacts more than 70,000 children
Thousands of children in England are struggling with the impacts of parental alcohol misuse, a national children’s charity has reported. Last year, Child in Need assessments identified 71,580 children as living with a parent who regularly and consistently misuses alcohol, and the NSPCC reports that its helpline regularly receives contacts about this issue. The...
Children in care could reunite with their families with more support
New research from the NSPCC and Action for Children reveals that more children in care could be reunited with their families if there was better support available. The survey of local authorities in England found that 78% of the 75 who responded want to provide more support to help children in care return to...
NSPCC launches new campaign to tackle child sexual abuse
The NSPCC has launched a new campaign with the Home Office to tackle child sexual abuse after new data revealed that police recorded almost 87,000 sexual offences against children last year. The national children’s charity said that new research showed that child sexual abuse crimes had reached near-record levels during 2022-23, and they want...
Child cruelty offences have doubled in 5 years, says NSPCC
New data released by the NSPCC reveals that reported cases of child cruelty and neglect have doubled over the past 5 years. The data, obtained by the national children’s charity through a Freedom of Information Request to police forces in England, shows that there has been a 106% increase in recorded offences of adults...
Childline: Over 100,000 children seek mental health help
Data released by the NSPCC reveals that over 100,000 children contacted Childline last year for help with mental health struggles. The confidential charity helpline delivered more than 105,000 counselling sessions on mental health and emotional wellbeing between 1st April 2022 and 31st March 2023 – over half of the total number of counselling sessions...
Online Safety Bill marks ‘new era for children’s safety’
The landmark Online Safety Bill has finally been passed and will soon be made law, marking what the NSPCC describes as “a new era for children’s safety.” The ground-breaking and “essential” piece of legislation was recently passed following years of campaigning by parents, survivors, MPs and charities and is set to transform the online...
Online grooming cases reach record high
Data from the NSPCC has revealed that online grooming crimes reached a record high last year, as new online safety laws have repeatedly stalled. The national children’s charity said that data from 42 police forces in the UK showed that 6,350 offences related to sexual communication with a child were recorded last year, representing...
Child sexual abuse victims lack access to specialist support
Analysis conducted by the NSPCC reveals that most victims of child sexual abuse will struggle to access specialist support, as 77% of local authorities do not offer it. The national children’s charity found that less than a quarter (23%) of local authorities in Britain offer specialist, dedicated support – in the form of independent...
10% increase in children struggling with exam stress
Childline has reported a 10% increase in counselling sessions about exam stress since the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK. The confidential charity helpline for children said that almost 2,000 children contacted them to talk about exam stress last year as formal exams returned following the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and resulting lockdowns...
Children’s social care strategy ‘lacks ambition and pace’
A new report from a House of Lord’s Committee has concluded that the Children’s social care strategy is unambitious and slow. The Public Services Committee has published its new report in response to the Government’s Strategy to reform children’s social care, ‘Stable homes built on love: implementation strategy and consultation: Children’s Social Care Reform...
Online abuse survivors call for action
Survivors of online abuse are joining together to call on the government to tackle violence against women and girls through the Online Safety Bill. A group of women, many of them public figures, who have experienced child sexual abuse, gendered violence and online misogyny have signed an open letter urging Prime Minister Rishi Sunak...