Child abuse

Mythbusting: common myths around reporting child abuse

If you're concerned about reporting suspected child abuse and neglect because you're worried about being wrong, read some answers to common myths about reporting abuse below.

1. Myth: Reporting a child/family to the ‘social services’ means the child will be removed from their family immediately by social workers

Fact: Social workers protect vulnerable children and provide support to families in need of assistance. Sharing your concerns with a local authority won't mean a child is taken into care, but could mean the authorities spot a problem sooner and can take action to help the child and the family concerned. Ultimately the decision for removing a child from their family rests with the courts.

2. Myth: It’s only child abuse if there’s physical or sexual violence

Fact: In 2014-15, over three quarters of the children on child protection plans were as a result of neglect or emotional abuse. Of the remaining children, 10% are for physical abuse, and 5% for sexual abuse. Many children and young people are likely to experience more than one type of abuse. Specifically, emotional abuse includes bullying, making a child feel worthless or unloved, inadequate, deliberately silencing them or frequently causing a child to feel frightened or in danger. Neglect covers the ongoing persistent failure to meet a child’s basic needs. It may include failing to provide adequate food, shelter, clothing or medical treatment.

Neglect includes failure to protect a child from harm or danger and failure to ensure proper care or supervision.

3. Myth: If the child doesn’t tell someone about the abuse taking place, it cannot be that serious

Fact: Research indicates that children and young people suffering abuse may make multiple attempts to tell someone. However, talking about this is a difficult subject. It may be more subtle than just coming out with it or showing a visual sign. While young people told a diverse range of people about their abuse, friends and mothers were by far the most common people who they spoke to first.

4. Myth: Children are just attention-seeking when they act up

Fact: Changes in behaviour are one of the key signs that a child may be suffering from abuse or neglect.

5. Myth: Children have lots of adults they can turn to for help if they're being abused.

Fact: Children and young people find it extremely difficult to ask for help from anyone if they're being abused. The most common barriers that stop them from asking for help are:

• having no one to turn to - the absence of someone trusted to tell and feelings of isolation
• fears and anxieties manipulated by the abuser
• developmental barriers
• emotional barriers and anxieties
• no one listened and no one asked: lack of recognition of abuse by others
• anxiety over the confidentiality of their information

Page last updated: 31 October 2022