Childline: Listen up, Speak up helps adults recognise signs of emotional abuse in children

Many adults are unable to identify when a child or young person is suffering from emotional abuse.

Our Childline service hears from thousands of children here in the North East and across the UK who are suffering from all kinds of abuse, including emotional abuse.

Compared to bruising, cuts or injuries from physical abuse, the scars from emotional abuse are much more difficult to recognise.

A new survey by YouGov, commissioned by the NSPCC, saw 4,242 adults across the UK take part, including 178 here in the North East.

The research found 94% of adults nationally believed emotional abuse could have a lasting psychological effect on children well into adulthood, and in our region, that figure was 95%.

In the North East, when asked to identify examples of emotional abuse, on average almost one in six participants were unable to do so. The scenarios where adults failed to identify emotional abuse correctly, included being overly controlling (23%), never showing any emotions (23%), and pushing a child too hard (25%).

All of us can play a part in supporting children and young people who may be at risk of or suffering abuse, but the research also found more than two thirds (70%) of adults surveyed in the region had not done any training or reading to help them recognise the signs of emotional abuse.

To support adults in understanding what to do if they suspect abuse, the NSPCC’s has created Listen up, Speak up, which are a series of resources that can be read in just a few minutes, but can make a real difference to the lives of children and families who need support.

Listen up, Speak up uses easily accessible online resources featuring real-life scenarios to offer simple tips and advice on how to spot signs of abuse and what to do if you’re concerned about someone.

For the most part, it’s about supporting people, not reporting them, but where the safety of a child is a concern, Listen up, Speak up helps participants understand who they can speak to about their worries and try to ensure that young person is protected.

In just ten minutes, Listen up, Speak up can help adults recognise both the obvious and subtle signs of abuse, and what they can do to protect children.

To find out more, visit www.nspcc.org.uk/speakup