Go to: Issue Description - Key Facts - Table of Contents
Issue Description
Experts have estimated that up to one child in ten is abused in the UK. These children may suffer neglect, emotional, physical or sexual abuse. This book looks at abuse in its different forms, provides information on how victims are identified and treated and also debates the line which is drawn between discipline and abuse.
The information comes from a variety of sources, including government reports and statistics, newspapers and magazine articles, surveys and polls, academic research and literature from charities and lobby groups; articles have been tailored to an 11 to 14 age group. Additionally, at the end of each chapter are two pages of activities relating to the articles and issues raised in that chapter.
return to top of page
Key Facts
- When you report child abuse to social services, they must look into it if they think there is a real risk to the safety or well-being of the child. Social services will decide if the child needs protection and what needs to be done to protect them. (page 3)
- Research from Beatbullying indicates that over a third of under-18s have received an offensive or distressing sexual image via text or email. (page 9)
- According to Breathing Space, one in four girls and one in six boys are subjected to some form of sexual abuse. (page 11)
- In more than 75% of sexual abuse cases, the abuse is committed by an adult the child knows and trusts. (page 11)
- Growing up in an alcoholic household is closely linked to abuse, with 55% of domestic violence incidents happening in alcoholic homes and drink being a factor in 90% of child abuse cases. (page 12)
- Bullying can make you feel badly about yourself for a long time if it is not dealt with. Telling an adult you trust is an important way to get the bullying to stop. (page 16)
- In the UK, legislation prohibiting corporal punishment does not apply to the home. (page 20)
- New figures released by the NSPCC show that a majority of adults now think it is cruel to smack a child: 95% of adults say that smacking a baby under one year old is cruel; 73% of adults consider it is cruel to smack a toddler aged one to four; 54% of people think it is cruel to smack a child of five and
older. (page 21) - Almost 85 per cent of 1,000 adults polled in 2004 agreed that ‘parents should sometimes be allowed to smack their children’. (page 25)
return to top of page
Table of Contents
Chapter One: The Abuse of Children
What is child abuse?, Who can help?, Child abuse: signs and symptoms, Social networking, ‘Sexting’ amongst UK teens, Sexual Abuse, Child abuse and alcohol, Neglected children should be taken from parents, What would you do?, Activities.
Chapter Two: Discipline and Abuse
Corporal punishment, Stop hitting!, Smacking: the debate, Debate smacks of confusion, Activities.
