Breaking News Today has reported that more than 360 children reported being abused and neglected at home in just one week during lockdown, according to Childline.
The helpline, which is run by the NSPCC, revealed that they carried out 663 counselling sessions where children reported experiencing physical, sexual, emotional abuse or neglect during the week of 17 April – a figure that was a fifth higher than the previous week.
A spokesperson for the NSPCC, said: “We are increasingly concerned about the number of children who will experience abuse or neglect due to the impact of coronavirus., with families struggling with lockdown, job losses and school closures.”
The charity has divulged one particularly harrowing call that they received during lockdown from a 15-year-old girl.
She told counsellors: “My parents are physically abusing me – it’s happening quite often now since schools closed and I’m really scared. They hit me, and often, it leaves me with bruises. I really want to get out of the house and be somewhere safe and happy. I’m scared my parents will get angry and hurt me more if I tell someone.”
Childline has seen a massive surge in calls since lockdown measures were introduced, delivering 1,700 counselling sessions about COVID-19 in April alone. This is despite the fact that the charity has had to cancel its night service due to a 30% drop in volunteer hours because of counsellors having to self-isolate.
This shocking report comes as the Children’s Commissioner for England, Anne Longfield, called for more support for vulnerable children during the COVID-19 pandemic.
She said: “The coronavirus emergency has put hundreds of thousands of vulnerable children in England at heightened risk. While the government’s decision to keep schools open for the most vulnerable children is welcome, sadly most of them are just not showing up.”
She went on to say: “They are most likely at home, often exposed to a cocktail of secondary risks – a lack of food in the house, sofa-surfing or cramped living conditions, neglect, or experiencing acute difficulties due to parental domestic abuse, substance abuse and mental health problems.
“Many will be caring for parents and siblings themselves in these incredibly difficult times.”
The Children’s Society has also voiced their concerns over the drop in social care referrals and the small number of vulnerable children who are attending school during the pandemic, saying: “It’s crucial that social care and schools encourage families to send children to school where possible, but we also want to ensure them that all vulnerable children have a named trusted professional who they can turn to.”
Meanwhile, Refuge has reported a 49% increase in calls to its domestic abuse hotline since lockdown began at the end of March and domestic abuse charity Chayn has reported that visits to its website trebled in March 2020.
Research by Counting Dead Women calculated that at least 16 domestic abuse killings of women and children had taken place in the first three weeks of lockdown – double the average rate and the largest number of killings in a three-week period for a decade.
