Majority of UK children ‘have witnessed neglect’, charity reports

The charity’s ‘Child neglect: the scandal that never breaks’ report revealed that 73 per cent of UK children have witnessed neglect in some shape or form, such as knowing another child who is being neglected by parents or carers.

Neglect affects one in 10 UK children – 1.5 million in total – and this number is rising each year, Action for Children reported. Despite these numbers, the Government does not have a comprehensive strategy in place to deal with the important issue, the charity said.

A series of practical measures have been suggested by the charity, all of which it would like to see included in a Government neglect strategy. One of the suggestions relates to a web portal where members of the public are able to report any concerns about children they may have, as well as online systems allowing for accurate birth information to be collated and recorded.

Sir Tony Hawkhead, chief executive of Action for Children, said: “Child neglect is rife. Evidence points to an average of more than one child on every street in the country who is suffering from some form of neglect.

“They are not fed or clothed properly. They consistently miss medical appointments or are absent from school. They are ignored by their parents, left on their own or completely disregarded by the people who are supposed to love them unconditionally. Our research shows that children as young as eight can see it, so why can’t the Government do more?”

Key findings from the charity’s report, which was compiled following talks with 18,000 individuals, including 4,000 children, showed that 52 per cent of children who were concerned about another child told someone about their fears.

The report also found that 40 per cent of parents wanted more information on where they could go for help should they know a child who was being neglected. Neglect is linked to 60 per cent of serious case reviews into the death or injury of a child, the report confirmed.