Calls to child abuse hotline rise 12 per cent as adults worry about children's safety

The free helpline received nearly 73,000 contacts in the last financial year from people reporting concerns about a child, almost half of which were referred on to police and social services to take further action.

The charity said there could be a number of reasons for such a substantial increase, including more adults being worried about a child and greater awareness among adults of the importance of speaking up and seeking professional advice if they are concerned about a child.

In Yorkshire and the Humber, the change was less significant, though calls still rose 2.3 per cent.

Mike McGrath, head of partnerships at the NSPCC, said the helpline provided “a critical service” across the UK.

He said: “It’s vital that we can continue to provide this support to adults so that they know there is somewhere they can go if they are concerned for the safety of a child.”

The charity’s Helpline hears from worried adults every day and night of the week, with concerns ranging from child neglect to sexual, physical and emotional abuse.

The overall rise in contacts is also reflected in the figures for sexual abuse, which has seen an 11 per cent jump in the past year. In the Yorkshire and the Humber region, 439 referrals were made in connection with sexual abuse during that time.

On Thursday, the government announced £30m of funding to help track down online paedophiles and tackle online grooming by adding artificial intelligence to the UK’s world-leading Child Abuse Image Database.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said: "Vile predators who prowl the internet abusing children are cowards who need to be caught and punished. That’s why it’s essential we give our law enforcement agencies the support, resources and powers they need to bring them to justice."

This comes after the NSPCC also urged primary schools to take part in a free programme to help keep children safe.

In Yorkshire and the Humber the children charity’s volunteers visited 593 primary schools and spoke to 131,425 children in the last academic year alone.

Nine in ten primary schools have taken part in the “Speak out. Stay safe.” programme, but the charity wants the 3,500 schools nationwide that are yet to receive the programme to get in touch.

In the average primary school class, at least two children have suffered abuse or neglect.

From next year, all schools will be required to ensure that children know how to report concerns or abuse and have the vocabulary and confidence to do this by the time they go to secondary school.

Karen Squillino, head of schools service at the NSPCC said: “It can be difficult for teachers and parents to know how to tackle this sensitive but incredibly important subject. Through our Speak out. Stay safe. programme we talk to children about the different types of abuse and let them know there are people out there who can help them.

“This new school term we want to encourage any schools that have not received a visit from us to sign up, so that we can empower as many children as possible to recognise and report any worries they have.”

As well as its helpline for adults and other programmes, the NSPCC also runs Childline, 24-hour, 365-day counselling service that provides a safe, confidential place for children with no one else to turn to.