Legal News
Child abuse reports rise due to increased awareness (17 December 2013)
Date: 17/12/2013
According to new statistics showing that child protection alerts have almost doubled during the last five years, people in the UK are being more proactive about reporting instances of child abuse.
The data, which has been released by the Kirklees Safeguarding Children Board (KSBC), is representative of a nationwide improvement in awareness about when a child may be at risk. There were 127 referrals in the North Yorkshire area between April 2012 and March 2013, an increase on the 67 reported in 2008/2009.
The KSBC believe the rise in cases is not due to an increase in child abuse but an increasing awareness from individuals in the police, social services, education and voluntary sectors about child protection issues and how they should be reported.
A KSCB spokesperson said: “The public's level of awareness has risen nationally and this is reflected in the local data. As the figures show, there is a national trend for people to express their concerns more readily when they are worried about the welfare of a child. Clearly this is welcome as it means agencies are often intervening at an earlier stage and are able to help a greater number of children who may be at risk.”
According to the data, the majority of concerns were raised against education workers last year. However, faith groups accounted for the biggest rise in referrals.
Duncan Lewis' experienced team of family solicitors are child care law experts. We understand how child abuse can affect you and your family and we will provide a solution that eases the stress on the minors.