Children's harrowing accounts of domestic violence during lockdown

The NSPCC has received 26 calls a day – more than one an hour – concerning the impact of domestic violence on children since the Covid-19 lockdown began.

The quote above, from a 10-year-old boy, is just one of many included in a harrowing NSPCC briefing published on Wednesday (June 10).

Between March 23 and May 17, the charity’s Childline service received a record number of contacts regarding domestic violence – around 1,500, which is an average of 185 a week. This is up from an average of 140 a week before lockdown.

Another caller, a girl aged 13, told Childline: “Before lockdown happened, dad was seeing a counsellor for his anger problems. I’m pretty sure those meetings have stopped and I’m worried what he’s gonna be like if lockdown carries on like this. I love my dad and don’t want anything to happen to him, but I just needed to tell someone.”