Best Practice

Safeguarding: Spotting the signs of emotional abuse

Seven children in an average classroom will experience abuse or neglect. Ahead of the NSPCC’s Childhood Day, Shaun Friel looks specifically at emotional abuse, including what it is, spotting the signs, and responding in schools
Image: Adobe Stock

Half a million children a year suffer some form of abuse or neglect in the UK. That means seven children in an average classroom will experience abuse before they turn 18.

The NSPCC, the charity behind the child counselling service Childline, is raising awareness around the subject of emotional abuse ahead of our annual fundraising event, Childhood Day.

Childline’s trained counsellors hear regularly from young people who are experiencing emotional abuse. During the past year the service marked a 5% increase in calls on this subject, with 2,879 counselling sessions given.

Due to the numbers of counselling sessions Childline receives from young people relating to emotional abuse, the NSPCC is committed to ensuring that educators feel confident in recognising and providing support to children who may be at risk of or are already experiencing this kind of abuse.

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