NSPCC Launches New Tool to Help Adults Working with Children Break the Silence Around Abuse and Neglect Disclosure

• The NSPCC has launched the ‘Let children know you’re listening’ safeguarding resource at the Professionals Breaking the Silence event in Cardiff.
• It is aimed at adults who work with children and contains a three-point guide to help in the event of a young person disclosing abuse or neglect.
• Previous NSPCC research found that nine in 10 young people who had experienced childhood abuse described telling an adult as ‘negative’.
• Young people also said that their attempts at disclosing their experiences often went ‘unrecognised, unheard or ignored’.

THE NSPCC is publishing new guidance for adults who are told by a child that they are being abused or neglected.

The new resource is aimed at adults who work directly with children like teachers, social workers and police and was created in response to research about children and young people’s experiences of disclosing abuse.

that 90 percent of young people who had experienced childhood abuse described the moment of telling an adult as negative, with many adding that their attempts at disclosure went unrecognised, unheard or ignored.

The number of crimes of child sexual abuse in Wales recorded by police have risen for each of the last five years where figures have been published with 2,845 recorded sexual offences against under-16s in 2016-17.

Of this total, 648 were sexual assaults against children under 13 years of age. In the same year in Wales there were 426 recorded offences of child cruelty or neglect.

In Wales, the NSPCC already speaks to thousands of children directly about abuse and neglect every year.

The charity’s ‘Speak Out, Stay Safe’ service goes into schools around the country to educate children about what abuse is and how to seek help.

Staff and volunteers with the service spoke directly to almost 75,000 children at more than 465 primary schools in Wales last year (2017-18).

Meanwhile, the NSPCC’s Childline service delivered 468 counseling sessions about sexual abuse to children contacting it from Wales in 2017-18.

But in response to the research about child victims’ experience of talking to adults, the charity has now produced a poster resource called ‘Let children know you’re listening’ to help people better understand how to respond to a disclosure of child abuse. The resource focuses on a three-point guide which gives the following directions to adults working with children:

• Help them open up and show you care;
• Slow down and take your time;
• Reflect back to show you understand.

Cecile Gwilym, senior policy and public affairs officer at NSPCC Cymru/Wales, said:

“Adults who work with children need the right tools to help them spot signs of abuse, engage with children, and support them when they disclose abuse or neglect.

“This practical resource is designed to help adults to respond supportively in the moment a child chooses to tell them what has happened to them.

“The importance of knowing what to say and do cannot be overestimated and it is those attributes which help a child feel noticed, heard and listened to and lead to a positive outcome.”

The development of the resource has been supported by the Welsh Government.

Julie Morgan AM, the deputy minister for health and social services, said: “Those who abuse children go to great lengths to silence them.

“This means everyone who comes into contact with children and young people must be equipped to recognise the signs of abuse, and be ready to listen to them when they are ready to speak out.

“The Welsh Government has part funded this important resource and a series of related learning events to be held across Wales.

“We are also developing a National Action Plan on Preventing and Responding to Child Sexual Abuse and resources such as the one launched today will be helpful tools to support the implementation of the plan.”

The new guides will be available, in English and Welsh, at NSPCC Learning.

Adults concerned about the wellbeing of a child can call the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000 or go to nspcc.org.uk.

Children can contact Childline with any concerns on 0808 1111, use the app or online at childline.org.uk/.

For further information please contact the NSPCC Cymru/Wales press office on
029 2010 8159 or email walespressoffice@nspcc.org.uk.