More than 3,000 child sexual abuse image crimes recorded by Police Scotland in past five years

  • NSPCC sends letter to Home Secretary and DSIT Secretary of State urging action to strengthen Ofcom’s current approach to private messaging.
  • Other signatories include Barnardo’s and the Marie Collins Foundation

The NSPCC is urging the UK Government to ensure children are better protected in private messaging environments, as Scottish Government data reveals that 3,419 child sexual abuse crimes have been recorded by Police Scotland since 2019.

In the last two years they have reached record levels, with more than 700 offences being logged each year (748 in 2023/24 and 765 in 2022/23).

A separate Freedom of Information request submitted to police forces across the UK by the NSPCC showed that where law enforcement recorded the platform used by perpetrators, exactly half (50%) took place on Snapchat and a quarter on Meta products – 11% on Instagram, 7% on Facebook and 6% on WhatsApp[1]

In response, a joint letter from charities, including the NSPCC, Marie Collins Foundation, Lucy Faithfull Foundation, Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse, and Barnardo’s, has been sent to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Technology Peter Kyle.

The letter expresses collective concern regarding Ofcom’s final Illegal Harms Code of Practice published in December 2024. The charities argue that as it stands, children will not be protected from the worst forms of abuse on private messaging services under Ofcom’s plans, despite this being a core aim of the Online Safety Act.

Ofcom has stated that user-to-user services are only required to remove illegal content where it is ‘technically feasible’. This exception creates an unacceptable loophole, allowing some services to avoid delivering the most basic protections for children.

Data from police forces on the number of recorded offences where the platform was known indicates private messaging sites are involved in more crimes than any other type of platform, with perpetrators exploiting the secrecy offered by these spaces to harm children and go undetected.

The NSPCC wants the UK Government to push Ofcom to review and strengthen their most recent codes of practice on tackling this threat to children’s safety online.

The charity is also calling for private messaging services, including those using end-to-end encryption, to make sure there are robust safeguards in place to ensure their platforms do not act as a ‘safe haven’ for perpetrators of child sexual abuse.  

End-to-end encryption is a secure communication system where only communicating users can participate. This means that service providers can be blinded to child sexual abuse material being shared through their platform.

Aoife, 21, from East Kilbride, an NSPCC Lived Experience Advocate, has shared her advice to any children who experience online harms.

Aoife was exploited online when she was 15 by a man, she met online on Yubo. He pretended to be a teenager around her age and convinced her to download another app, Telegram, and then asked her to send him images of herself. Then he blackmailed her with these, threatening to share them with all her friends and family on Facebook, to control her behaviour.

When his demands became increasingly intense and frightening, Aoife recalled being told about the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command (CEOP) at school and reported the images. Through this, her school and then her parents were informed and supported her with reporting what happened to the police. The perpetrator was eventually sentenced in 2022 following an investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA).

She said: “If a young person is asked to share an explicit image of themselves with someone online, I would say don’t do it! You might want to and think you know what you are doing, and that you’ll be safe but if you met them online you don’t know who that person is. For all you know they could be the opposite of who they say they are, so I would say – just don’t do it. It’s not worth the risk.

“If a young person has shared an image and they are being threatened tell someone you trust whether that’s a parent, teacher or neighbour because they will look out for you and help.

“I would also say to anyone who experiences this – it’s not your fault. You are the victim. You might be thinking how could I be so silly and put myself in this position but when you are young it’s perfectly normal to make mistakes – you’re still learning – so don’t be hard on yourself. You have been taken advantage of, and they are to blame, not you.”

Insight from NSPCC counselling service, Childline, provides further evidence of how young people are being targeted or blackmailed to share child abuse images via the calculated use of private messaging apps.

Last year, Childline delivered 903 counselling sessions to children and young people relating to blackmail or threats to expose or share sexual images online. This was a 7% increase compared to 2022/23.

Chris Sherwood, NSPCC Chief Executive, said: “It is deeply alarming to see thousands of child sexual abuse image crimes recorded by Police Scotland in the past five years. These offences cause tremendous harm and distress to children, with much of this illegal material being repeatedly shared and viewed online. It is an outrage that in 2025 we are still seeing a blatant disregard from tech companies to prevent this illegal content from proliferating on their sites.

“Having separate rules for private messaging services lets tech bosses off the hook from putting robust protections for children in place.

“This enables crimes to continue to flourish on their platforms even though we now have the Online Safety Act.

“The Government must set out how they will take a bold stand against abuse on private messaging services and hold tech companies accountable for keeping children safe, even if it requires changes to the platform’s design – there can be no excuse for inaction or delay. “

Letters: NSPCC supporting Safer Internet Day

Dear Editor,

We are proud to be supporting Safer Internet Day (Tuesday, February 11) again this year.

Today’s young people enjoy spending time online, and it is a great way for them to learn, socialise and have fun but avoiding online harm has become more complicated in recent years.

This year’s Safer Internet Day theme ‘Protecting yourself and others from scams online’ will look at the prevalence of online scams and invite young people to share their experiences and ideas on how to tackle the issue.

It is great that young people are involved in Safer Internet Day, we think it’s important to ensure their views and experiences are heard so they can help shape decisions that are made about how to keep them safe online.

And that’s why we are running a campaign in partnership with West Dunbartonshire Youth Council and West Dunbartonshire Council called ‘Shameless Youths’ which is being led by the young people themselves.

We hope to encourage more conversations between young people and the adults in their lives about being online and help them to have healthy relationships online and offline.

We are also working with a group of 14 enthusiastic young people from across the UK and Scotland – the NSPCC’s Voice of Online Youth – so they can influence decisions about to make the online world safer for them.

Advice and support about online safety is available for parents, carers, teachers and young people on the NSPCC website.

Children can get in touch with Childline on 0800 1111 or via childline.org.uk  to speak with a counsellor confidentially if they are worried about something. They have a tool called Report Remove for under 18 year olds who have had a nude image of them shared online, to help them get it removed.

Yours sincerely,

Euan MacLaren

NSPCC Scotland Local Campaigns Officer

Over three quarters of people in Scotland want child safety checks on new generative AI products

  • Polling shows 77% of the public in Scotland would opt for child safety checks on new generative AI products, even if this causes delays in releasing products.
  • This comes as new NSPCC-commissioned research identifies seven key safety risks to children including sexual grooming and harassment, bullying, sextortion and the proliferation of harmful content.
  • NSPCC calls on Government to slow down artificial intelligence action plans until they have embedded a statutory duty of care for children.

New research commissioned by the NSPCC highlights the different ways that generative artificial intelligence (AI) is being used to groom, harass and manipulate children and young people.

This comes as polling shows that the UK public are concerned about the rollout of AI. Savanta surveyed 217 people from across Scotland and found that most of the public (86%) have some level of concern that “this type of technology may be unsafe for children”.

The majority of the public (77%) said they would prefer to have safety checks on new generative AI products, even if this caused delays in releasing products over a speedy roll-out without safety checks.

The new NSPCC paper shares key findings from research conducted by AWO, a legal and technology consultancy. The research Viewing Generative AI and children’s safety in the round identifies seven key safety risks associated with generative AI; sexual grooming, sexual harassment, bullying, financially motivated extortion, child sexual abuse & exploitation material, harmful content, and harmful ads & recommendations.

Generative AI is currently being used to generate sexual abuse images of children, enable perpetrators to more effectively commit sexual extortion, groom children and provide misinformation or harmful advice to young people.

From as early as 2019, the NSPCC have been receiving contacts from children via Childline about AI.

One boy aged 14 told the service*: “I’m so ashamed of what I’ve done, I didn’t mean for it to go this far. A girl I was talking to was asking for pictures and I didn’t want to share my true identity, so I sent a picture of my friend’s face on an AI body. Now she’s put that face on a naked body and is saying she’ll post it online if I don’t pay her £50. I don’t even have a way to send money online, I can’t tell my parents, I don’t know what to do.”

One girl, aged 12 asked Childline*: “Can I ask questions about ChatGPT? Like how accurate is it? I was having a conversation with it and asking questions, and it told me I might have anxiety or depression. It’s made me start thinking that I might?”

The NSPCC paper outlines a range of different solutions to address these concerns including stripping out child sexual abuse material from AI training data and doing robust risk assessments on models to ensure they are safe before they are rolled out

A member of the NSPCC Voice of Online Youth, a group of young people aged 13-17 from across the UK, said: “A lot of the problems with Generative AI could potentially be solved if the information [that] tech companies and inventors give [to] the Gen AI was filtered and known to be correct.”

The Government is currently considering new legislation to help regulate AI and there will be a global summit in Paris this February where policy makers, tech companies and third sector organisations, including the NSPCC and their Voice of Online Youth, will come together to discuss the benefits and risks of using AI.

The NSPCC is calling on the Government to adopt specific safeguards for children in its legislation. The charity says four urgent actions are needed by Government to ensure generative AI is safe for children:

  1. Adopt a Duty of Care for Children’s Safety

Gen AI companies must prioritise the safety, protection, and rights of children in the design and development of their products and services.

  1. Embed a Duty of Care in Legislation

It is imperative that the Government enacts legislation that places a statutory duty of care on Gen AI companies, ensuring that they are held accountable for the safety of children.

  1. Place Children at the Heart of Gen AI Decisions

The needs and experiences of children and young people must be central to the design, development, and deployment of Gen AI technologies.

  1. Develop the Research and Evidence Base on Gen AI and Child Safety

The Government, academia, and relevant regulatory bodies should invest in building capacity to study these risks and support the development of evidence-based policies.

Chris Sherwood, CEO at the NSPCC, said: “Generative AI is a double-edged sword. On the one hand it provides opportunities for innovation, creativity and productivity that young people can benefit from; on the other it is having a devastating and corrosive impact on their lives.

“We can’t continue with the status quo where tech platforms ‘move fast and break things’ instead of prioritising children’s safety. For too long, unregulated social media platforms have exposed children to appalling harms that could have been prevented. Now, the Government must learn from these mistakes, move quickly to put safeguards in place and regulate generative AI, before it spirals out of control and damages more young lives.

“The NSPCC and the majority of the public want tech companies to do the right thing for children and make sure the development of AI doesn’t race ahead of child safety. We have the blueprints needed to ensure this technology has children’s wellbeing at its heart, now both Government and tech companies must take the urgent action needed to make Generative AI safe for children and young people.”

You can read Viewing Generative AI and children’s safety in the round on the NSPCC website.

Thousands of lonely children turning to Childline for help and support

  • Childline delivered almost 5,000 counselling sessions across 2023/24 where the main concern was loneliness.
  • Causes include being bullied by peers and seeing their friends having fun on social media and feeling as though they are missing out.
  • This January, Childline continues to be there for young people who need a safe and confidential place to turn to.

Thousands of children and young people across the UK continue to turn to Childline to discuss and seek help for feelings of loneliness.

In 2023/24 the NSPCC service delivered almost 5,000 counselling sessions related to the concern, both online and over the phone from one of their 13 bases around the country, including Aberdeen and Glasgow in Scotland.

Reasons children and young people have cited for feeling lonely in the last year include moving house or school and having to make new friends, their parents working long hours, being bullied by peers, and seeing their friends having fun on social media and feeling as though they are missing out.

One 11-year-old girl from Scotland said to Childline: “I feel so lonely at school, I only really have one friend.

“What’s harder though is I feel I can’t talk about how much it upsets me. My parents seem annoyed or judgemental when I try to talk about my feelings. Speaking to Childline feels like a weight has been lifted.”

The charity is revealing these figures to remind children and young people that they are not alone this January, or any other time of the year, with Childline ready to provide help and support 24/7.  

Adeniyi Alade, Childline Service Head, based in Aberdeen, said: “The dark and cold winter months can be a difficult time for many of us when feelings of loneliness and isolation can become more intense.

“Sadly, a high number of children and young people contact Childline because they feel lonely and isolated. We know this can have a serious impact on their mental wellbeing, often leaving young people feeling depressed and helpless.

“Children don’t have to face these emotions alone. Childline is here for every young person, no matter what their situation. Whether they’re missing a member of their family, struggling with friendships and bullying, or finding it difficult to talk with those around them, our counsellors are ready to listen.

“We’d encourage young people to get support as early as possible because that can help prevent the situation from getting worse.”

Tips for adults to help children and young people who may be experiencing loneliness include:

  1. Communicate openly: Encourage children to talk about their feelings and listen without judgement.
  2. Discover what’s causing the problem: Gently explore why they might be feeling this way and validate their emotions.
  3. Encourage socialising: Help children find opportunities to connect with peers through hobbies, clubs, or activities.
  4. Help them build their confidence: Celebrate their strengths and achievements and remind them of the positive relationships in their lives.
  5. Build a supportive environment: Loneliness isn’t something that can be resolved with one conversation. It is important to create an environment of openness where a child can talk to you about their feelings and any struggles they may be facing.

To support young people who may be dealing with loneliness, the NSPCC also offers an online text befriending service called Building Connections.

This service, available to anyone up to the age of 19, matches young people with a trained befriender for 11 weeks who will help them to build their confidence and better manage their loneliness. To refer a child to the Building Connections service visit: https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/services/building-connections?modularPage=make-a-referral

Childline is available for young people via the phone on 0800 1111 and online through the 121 chat on the Childline website

Scottish Childline volunteer will support children on Christmas Eve

Volunteering at Childline and doing a shift for the first time on Christmas eve, Adam (36) from Springburn, Glasgow, cherishes the opportunity to be there for children, providing a trusted person to talk to.

Recognising that Christmas can be difficult and home unsafe for some children, Childline volunteer Adam will support them this festive period.

Childline, an NSPCC run service, delivered almost 5,500 counselling sessions over the 12 Days of Christmas[1] last year, averaging more than 450 a day. To manage this service, the NSPCC relies on the compassion and generosity of its volunteers. Childline is a vital service available 365 days a year to support children and young people, whatever their worry or concern.

Adam explains that the thought of a call or email going unanswered inspired him to volunteer over the Christmas period.

He said: “I previously worked with children when I was a classroom assistant, and I saw first-hand just how complicated children’s lives can be.

“Not everyone has a trusted person to talk to and someone needs to be there for them to listen, without judgement, and I feel privileged to be able to do that at Childline.

“It’s nice to know that you can be there for a child who just needs someone to listen to them. You feel you’ve made a positive difference in at least one child’s life, often more.

“There’s not much else I could do in an evening after work that would be as worthwhile.”

Adam says it’s crucial to have volunteers at Childline during the festive period and there’s fantastic support available to them from staff and other volunteers.

He said: “Last January, I recall a particularly challenging contact from a child who was upset as they had to spend time with extended family on Boxing Day including having a meal with a relative who’d sexually abused them.

“These contacts can be difficult, but they highlight the need for Childline and reminds you that you’ve got a job to do, to support the young person.

“When you talk to a child you are thinking – how can I help them to feel comfortable to open up about what’s happened to them? You also want to make sure that they don’t feel judged. I ask myself do they just need to talk or are they in need of support to come up with a course of action or solution? How are they going to start that conversation with their mum, teacher or friend?”

Adam added: “There is plenty of training and support available at the Childline base in Glasgow, including supervisor assistance before, during, and after shifts, making sure we are well-prepared to manage difficult contacts.

“As this will be my first Christmas shift, I am a bit nervous about contact from children that may ask me why Santa didn’t come? Although, I am reassured that I have my supervisor and other volunteers to support me on how to handle these kinds of concerns.”

Adam talked about how he deals with his worries in general and if he has a difficult shift on Childline.

He explains: “I like to spend time outside and enjoy hill walking and this helps with decompressing after a difficult shift or even anything else that may be going on in my own life. It’s a good way to clear my head.”

Since his volunteering journey began in January 2024, Adam has gained valuable insights to the hardship endured by children and during Christmas time.

Adam said: “Unfortunately, Christmas isn’t a positive experience for all children, as some face difficult family situations, or homelessness. The contrast between children who receive many gifts and those who receive almost nothing is stark during the holiday season.”

However, the incredible resilience of children, who often thank volunteers despite their own struggles, stands out to Adam.

He said: “The children’s strength of character shines through during the calls. Despite their difficulties, they thank you, wish you a good weekend, or chat excitedly about positive aspects of their lives. For example, when asked if they’ll do something nice as a distraction, they might say they’re going to cuddle their cat. It’s heartening to see them as whole individuals, not just their issues.”

Sometimes, Adam is the first person a child talks to about issues like friendship problems.

He explains: “It’s such a privilege to help children and young people take the next step, such as speaking to their parents about what’s worrying them. Many young people say they feel much better after speaking with Childline, and it’s so heartwarming to see the positive impact of the support.

“While I know it will be tough, I’m happy to volunteer this Christmas Eve. During the festive period children have less support from their usual networks, such as school and friends, so I’m looking forward to being there to listen to them.”

Adam wants to encourage other people to volunteer with Childline.

He said: “You can sign up for a volunteer information meeting through the Childline website. These provide valuable information without any obligation to commit.  If you do decide to be a Childline volunteer, you won’t regret it.

“Christmas is not always a happy time for everyone. It’s a stressful and challenging period for many children, and we all should be aware of this. Volunteering or donating to the NSPCC can make a significant difference for children in need during the holiday season.

“Behind the festive facade, some children are dealing with grief, the absence of family members, or the complexities of family dynamics. The true meaning of Christmas is compassion, generosity and community.  To provide a listening ear for children during Christmastime is a wonderful gift to give.”

Childline Glasgow currently has vacancies for Volunteer Counsellors.

To find out more about volunteering at Childline visit: 

https://join-us.nspcc.org.uk/volunteers/volunteers/childline/

This Christmas, a child will contact Childline every 45 seconds on average. Help the charity to make sure Childline is ready for every question this festive season by visiting the NSPCC website. Just £4 could help a counsellor answer a call this Christmas.    

The Childline service is here for children every day, even on Christmas Day. Children can contact Childline on 0800 1111 or childline.org.uk  

Any adult concerned about the welfare of a child or young person can call the NSPCC helpline for free on 0808 800 5000 or email help@nspcc.org.uk.

Childline ready to be there for thousands of children in need of help and support over the festive period

  • Last year, the NSPCC-service delivered almost 5,500 counselling sessions to children and young people across the UK over the 12 Days of Christmas, averaging more than 450 a day.
  • Recurring festive worries for young people include bereavement, family relationship issues and adults drinking too much.
  • Childline remains open for children and young people throughout December, including Christmas Day, for any questions, concerns or worries they may have.

The NSPCC’s Childline service is anticipating thousands of children and young people reaching out to them for help and support across the upcoming festive period, with counsellors available around the clock throughout the holidays.

Over the 12 Days of Christmas last year (24th December 2023 to 4th January 2024) Childline delivered almost 5,500 counselling sessions to children living across the UK, averaging out at more than 450 a day.

As throughout the rest of the year, problems with mental health and wellbeing is the main reason why children and young people contact Childline.

However, there are also recurring issues and worries arising that are more specific to the festive season including:

  • Young people reflecting on the prospect of Christmas without a loved one
  • Being worried about family conflict and adults consuming alcohol
  • Feeling pressure to eat more than normal/coping with an eating disorder
  • Concerns about family money worries
  • Feelings of guilt or jealousy about the presents they receive

One girl from Scotland aged 18 told Childline: “I’m feeling very on edge right now as all the family is home for Christmas. They’re all in a room laughing and drinking, but any time I try to say anything they just talk right over me, like I don’t exist.

“I’m now in my room alone, so I thought I’d come on here for a chat.”

Another girl from Scotland aged 15 told Childline: “I feel like a failure whenever I eat something cos my brain tells me that not eating is the only thing I’m good at – and in a way it’s true.

“I’m worried about Christmas tomorrow as there is obviously going to be lots of food and my parents don’t know that I’ve been struggling a lot with it. I don’t know what to do.”

Childline bases across the UK, including in London, Liverpool, Leeds, Birmingham, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Cardiff, will be in operation throughout the Christmas period, filled with both full-time staff and volunteers.

Adeniyi Alade, Service Head of Childline and based at the Aberdeen base, said: “Childline will be there, as always, to help the thousands of children who contact us by phone and online over the festive period.

“We know Christmas can be a difficult time for some children and young people when they are spending more time at home.

“This time of year, can cause added stress to family life such as financial worries, arguments, and adults drinking a lot of alcohol.

“Whatever they may be worried about we’d like to reassure children and young people that our trained counsellors will be there to listen and support them on every day of the 12 Days of Christmas and into the New Year.”  

Adam Perry (36) from Glasgow has been a volunteer at the city’s Childline base since January this year.

He’s doing a shift on Christmas Eve for the first time and said: “Children have got all sorts of things going on in their lives, and often they are trying to cope with so much that’s happening to them.

“Someone needs to be there for them to listen, without judgement, and I feel privileged to be able to do that.

“At the end of every shift at Childline you feel like you’ve made a positive difference for at least one child, often more. To be honest there’s not much else I could do in an evening after work that would be as worthwhile.

“While I know it will be tough, I’m happy to volunteer this Christmas Eve. During the festive period, children have less support from their usual networks, such as school and friends, so I’m looking forward to being there to listen to them.”

This Christmas, a child will contact Childline every 45 seconds on average. Help the charity to make sure Childline is ready for every question this festive season by visiting the NSPCC website. Just £4 could help a counsellor answer a call this Christmas.    

The Childline service is here for children every day, even on Christmas Day.

Children can contact Childline on 0800 1111 or childline.org.uk

Talk PANTS campaign has reached over 4,500 children and adults in Edinburgh during past year

More than 4,500 people in Edinburgh have learned about keeping children safe from sexual abuse through the NSPCC’s Talk PANTS campaign running in the city over the past year.

Staff from NSPCC Scotland and the Edinburgh Child Protection Committee have delivered Talk PANTS workshops across the city since October 2023, giving parents, carers and professionals advice on how to have simple, age-appropriate conversations with children to help keep them safe from sexual abuse.

With the help of a colourful animated dinosaur, called Pantosaurus, the campaign helps children understand that their body belongs to them, that they have a right to say no, and they should tell a safe adult they trust if anything makes them feel upset or worried.

The end of the campaign has been marked with two events over the past week – one for families and one for professionals.

At the family event on November 29 at Gorgie Memorial Hall, children, parents and carers enjoyed snacks, games and a reading of ‘Pantosaurus and the Power of PANTS’ followed by an appearance by Pantosaurus.

The professional event at Edinburgh City Chambers on December 3 featured speeches by Matthew McVarish, actor and co-founder of the global Brave Movement; Laura Brown, Lead Officer of the Edinburgh Child Protection Committee; Lillian Cringles, Independent Chair of the Edinburgh Child Protection Committee, and Carla Malseed, NSPCC Scotland Local Campaigns Manager.

The campaign launched last year at an event for families at McDonald Road Library. Since then, NSPCC Scotland and the City of Edinburgh Council staff have joined Pantosaurus and thousands of families across the city, including at Sighthill and Craigmillar libraries, Edinburgh Zoo and the international book festival. Talk PANTS resources are now available in all 27 libraries across Edinburgh.

Carla Malseed, NSPCC Scotland Local Campaigns Manager, said: “It has been a great year delivering Talk PANTS workshops across Edinburgh. Welcoming children, parents and carers to our events and sharing the messages of Talk PANTS has been wonderful.

“The campaign doesn’t use scary words or talk about sex. Instead, we focus on the PANTS rules that help children understand important messages like their body belongs to them and they should tell an adult if they’re upset or worried about something.

“More parents and carers across Edinburgh are now equipped with the skills to be able to talk about this difficult topic with their children from a young age and can play their part in helping to prevent abuse. And more children now have a greater understanding of their rights, thanks to Pantosaurus and the Talk PANTS campaign.”

Lillian Cringles, Chair of the Edinburgh Child Protection Committee, said: This campaign has helped families and professional have these important conversations with children about their bodies and help keep them safe.

“This piece of work across the city has demonstrated a strong commitment to partnership, involving numerous agencies and services.  We intend to keep this alive through campaign legacy commitments over the next few years.

“While the campaign has come to an end in Edinburgh, I would still urge as many parents and carers as possible to find out about the Talk PANTS messages, which are available on the NSPCC website.”

A highlight of the Edinburgh Talk PANTS campaign was the creation of sign language resources, which were developed in partnership with the communication charity – Signalong.

The legacy of the campaign will live on thanks to local ‘PANTS champions’ – people usually from a school or nursery trained to deliver the campaign messages to other professionals and families through webinars, workshops and awareness raising events.

And schools and nurseries in Edinburgh have been offered PANTS resource bags to use with children in the months and years to come.

Young people looking for support on any of the issues mentioned, can contact Childline on 0800 1111 or visit Childline.org.uk.

Childline is available to all young people until their 19th birthday.

If you are concerned about a child you can contact the NSPCC Helpline by calling 0808 800 5000 or email: help@NSPCC.org.uk.

NSPCC sees a surge in concerns about children experiencing domestic abuse

  • The NSPCC Helpline fielded almost 4,000 contacts about concerns for children experiencing domestic abuse in the first six months of 24/25.
  • There has been a 19% increase about the issue compared to the same period in 23/24.
  • Coercive or controlling behaviour, emotional domestic abuse and post-separation domestic abuse were concerns repeatedly raised in contacts the adult helpline received about domestic abuse.
  • Childline is reminding all children that the service is ready to support them if they have concerns about domestic abuse, or any other issues, this festive season.

The NSPCC is dealing with an increase in contacts to its Helpline from adults with concerns about children who are experiencing domestic abuse.

In the first six months of 2024/25, the charity received 3,879 contacts relating to the issue, a 19% rise compared to the previous year.

A deeper dive into the domestic abuse data reveals mentions of coercive or controlling behaviour (1,279 contacts) and emotional domestic abuse (1,451) increased by a half, while post-separation domestic abuse more than doubled.

A 12-year-old girl from Scotland told a Childline counsellor: “I can’t handle living around my dad; he puts us all on edge. You never know what he’s going to do next or over what.

“Mum thought she’d lost her phone weeks ago, but really dad hid it to punish her. Mum doesn’t even argue back anymore, it’s like he’s made her give up.”

Children are also directly contacting the charity about this issue, with Childline delivering over 500 counselling sessions on domestic abuse in the same 6-month period.

As we move towards Christmas and into the winter months, the concern now is that these numbers will continue to rise with longer, darker nights seeing children spending more time at home and having several weeks away from school over the festive period.

In response, the NSPCC is launching its annual Christmas campaign designed to remind young people that Childline is available throughout the festive season to support on all concerns, including domestic abuse.

Sadly, there will be thousands of children this Christmas across the UK in search of free and confidential help for a range of worries and concerns. These include how to stay safe from abuse and about feeling completely alone. This Christmas, Childline is ready for every call and contact throughout the festive period.

In the charity’s Christmas TV advert, a young girl who has been neglected during the festive period contacts Childline for help. She speaks to a trained counsellor who listens to what is happening to her and provides support. 

The issue can still persist after a relationship is over. An adult in Scotland who had concerns for a relative’s safety in a domestic abuse setting told the NSPCC Helpline that they saw signs of controlling behaviour after a relationship had ended.

They said: “My sister recently left an abusive situation with her six-month old baby, but her ex-partner is still in control of their finances and emotionally abusing her. Her ex has drained their accounts so she can’t buy what she needs for my niece.

“The ex is bombarding her with threats over text, even saying they will kill themselves if she doesn’t go back or let them see the baby. Where can we get support and protection for my sister and niece?”

Adeniyi Alade, head of NSPCC helplines in Scotland, said: “Christmas should be a time of wonder and excitement for children, but sadly this is not always the case. For some it can be a time in the year when problems at home come to a head and trigger issues like domestic abuse.

“Contacts to the NSPCC Helpline about domestic abuse have been on the rise this year and the concern now is that this will continue over Christmas and into 2025.

“Our mission is to ensure that no child is left to suffer in silence. Our Childline service is open in December and throughout the year to provide free, confidential advice and support.”

This Christmas, a child will contact Childline every 45 seconds on average. Help the charity to make sure Childline is ready for every question this festive season by visiting the NSPCC website. Just £4 could help a counsellor answer a call this Christmas.   

The Childline service is here for children every day, even on Christmas Day. Children can contact Childline on 0800 1111 or childline.org.uk 

Any adult can contact the NSPCC Helpline if they have a concern about a child on 0808 800 5000 or by emailing help@NSPCC.org.uk. For more information on DART (Domestic Abuse, Recovering Together), visit the NSPCC website.

NSPCC and Signalong create new resources to help protect children with communication barriers from abuse

New resources created for children who face communication barriers will share crucial messages to help keep them safe from sexual abuse.

The national initiative from the NSPCC and communication charity Signalong was developed as part of the Edinburgh Talk PANTS campaign to make important messaging on preventing child sexual abuse more accessible to children and families in the city and beyond.

The Edinburgh Talk PANTS campaign, which is being delivered by NSPCC Scotland and the Edinburgh Child Protection Committee and partners, launched last year and ends next month.

Dozens of events at libraries and public buildings across the country have seen thousands of families receiving the campaign materials which contain advice for parents, carers and professionals on how to have simple, age-appropriate conversations with children to help keep them safe from sexual abuse.

With the help of a colourful animated dinosaur, called Pantosaurus, Talk PANTS helps children understand that their body belongs to them, they have a right to say no and they should tell a safe adult they trust if anything makes them feel upset or worried. 

The Edinburgh Talk PANTS campaign promotes the PANTS rule, which teaches children five key messages to help them understand their rights regarding their bodies.

These principles empower children to recognise inappropriate behaviour, affirm their rights to personal safety, and understand that they can speak out if something does not feel right.

The Signalong charity provides training and resources to assist children with communication difficulties and when English is an additional language.

Signalong is based on British sign language and uses speech, body language, facial expression and voice tones.

Lillian Cringles, Chair of Edinburgh Child Protection Committee, said: “Inclusion and hearing what matters to children with additional support needs is of vital importance.

“We are very proud that dedicated materials for families using Signalong to aid communication were the inception of our local campaign. It is impressive that the NSPCC and Signalong have formalised a set of national resources in such a timely fashion and demonstrates a real commitment to partnership working.

“I have no doubt these new materials will continue to be of use in our Edinburgh education, community and family settings to aid prevention of sexual harm to children.”

Carla Malseed, Local Campaigns Manager for NSPCC Scotland, added: “The Talk PANTS resources are an important step in equipping families and professionals with the knowledge and tools they need to have open discussions about body safety.

“They will make difficult conversations around sex and consent easier to have with children from more diverse backgrounds.”

Tracy Goode, Signalong Chief Executive, said: “Talk PANTS is a wonderful resource to help keep children safe, available in English, Welsh, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Scottish Gaelic, BSL and Makaton.

“Signalong recognise that not all children speak the same language and those with communication difficulties do not use the same signing system across the UK.

“Signalong are delighted to partner with the NSPCC to ensure that the PANTS message is available to those who rely on Signalong to communicate. The colourful PANTS Rules incorporate realistic drawings and signs which are readily available to those who currently use Signalong.”

Councillor Joan Griffiths, Education, Children and Families Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “The Talk PANTS campaign has already supported parents, carers and professionals with the resources they need to have important conversations with thousands of children and young people in Edinburgh.

“With an increasing number of children in the city recorded as having an additional support need, this new set of materials is a welcome addition to the existing campaign and goes a step further in ensuring that children experiencing challenges around communication can access important information about boundaries and body safety.”

While the resources were developed as part of the Edinburgh Talk PANTS campaign they are available online to professionals from across the United Kingdom.

The Signalong materials are available online and will be launched at an online event on Wednesday, November 20 with speakers from Signalong, NSPCC Scotland and the City of Edinburgh Council.

For additional inquiries or to access more information about the Talk PANTS campaign, please visit the NSPCC website, where the Signalong materials are also available.

Thousands of online grooming crimes in Scotland during past five years

  • More than 3,000 Communicating Indecently with a Child offences have been recorded by Police Scotland during the past five years
  • NSPCC urges Ofcom to significantly strengthen its approach to child sexual abuse and for the UK Government to ensure the regulator can tackle grooming in private messaging

Over 3,000 online grooming crimes across Scotland have been recorded by Police Scotland during the past five years, new data compiled by the NSPCC has revealed.   

The figures provided by Police Scotland show 3,234 Communicating Indecently with a Child offences were recorded since 2019, with 672 offences recorded last year (2023/24) – an increase of 13% from the previous year.  

The NSPCC has issued these findings a year on from the Online Safety Act being passed.

The charity is urging Ofcom to significantly strengthen the rules social media platforms must follow to tackle child sexual abuse on their products.

They say the regulator currently puts too much focus on acting after harm has taken place rather than being proactive to ensure the design features of social media apps are not contributing to abuse.

The NSPCC is also calling on the Government to strengthen legislation to ensure child sexual abuse is disrupted in private messages such as on Snapchat and WhatsApp.

The charity’s Voice of Online Youth young people’s group were not surprised at the prevalence of Snapchat in offences.

Liidia, 13 from Glasgow, said: “Snapchat has disappearing messages, and that makes it easier for people to hide things they shouldn’t be doing.

“Another problem is that Snapchat has this feature where you can show your location to everyone. If you’re not careful, you might end up showing where you are to people you don’t know, which is super risky.

“And honestly, not all the rules in Snapchat are strict, so some people take advantage of that to do bad things. Apps should have better ways for us to report bad things, and they should always get updated to protect us better with the latest security tech.”

Sir Peter Wanless, NSPCC Chief Executive, said: “One year since the Online Safety Act became law and we are still waiting for tech companies to make their platforms safe for children.

“We need ambitious regulation by Ofcom who must significantly strengthen their current approach to make companies address how their products are being exploited by offenders.

“It is clear that much of this abuse is taking place in private messaging which is why we also need the UK Government to strengthen the Online Safety Act to give Ofcom more legal certainty to tackle child sexual abuse on the likes of Snapchat and WhatsApp.”

National Police Chief’s Council Lead for Child Protection and Abuse Investigations (CPAI) Becky Riggs said: “The numbers in this NSPCC data are shocking and policing joins partners in urging tech companies and Ofcom to fulfil their legal and moral obligations to keep children safe from harm within the online communities they have created.

“A year on from the Online Safety Act being passed, it is imperative that the responsibility of safeguarding children online is placed with the companies who create spaces for them, and the regulator strengthens rules that social media platforms must follow.

“Policing will not stop in its fight against those who commit these horrific crimes. We cannot do this alone, so while we continue to pursue and prosecute those who abuse and exploit children, we repeat our call for more to be done by companies in this space.”