Number of children impacted by domestic abuse soared during coronavirus lockdown, NSPCC says

156 referrals were made following calls to the NSPCC’s dedicated helpline between March 23 and May 17, with 1,500 calls about violence in the home coming in across the UK during the same period.

Contacts to the helpline about the impact of domestic abuse on children have surged by almost a third since the start of the lockdown, to an average of one an hour.

The month of May saw the highest number of contacts to the helpline about domestic abuse since recording changed in 2016.

The charity says the figures show the ‘daily nightmare’ of violence and coercive control’s impact on children and have called on the Government to amend the Domestic Abuse Bill currently going through parliament to reflect this.

Emily Hilton, NSPCC senior policy and public affairs officer, said: “This crisis has shone a spotlight on children who are living with the daily nightmare of domestic abuse.

“The bill has the chance to transform the help available for these children but, despite pleas from multiple experts, the Government is deliberately turning a blind eye to the impact it has on children.

“The Government should grasp the landmark opportunity offered by the Domestic Abuse Bill and ensure children get the protection and support they need.”

NSPCC analysis of 11 serious case reviews published since 2019 suggests practitioners struggled to keep their focus on children because their experiences were overshadowed by their parents’ relationship.

In one report, a victim needed to leave her home for her own safety but couldn’t take her child with her and professionals did not consider the risks for the children who were left behind being cared for by the abuser.

The charity say the issue has been brought to the forefront by the crisis, with some abusers exploiting it to withhold access to children, cut off contact to family and friends, and monitor victims’ movements under the pretext of keeping them safe from the virus.