Over the festive period, for the first time, Scottish police forces counted the number of children in families where it recorded a domestic abuse incident.
It was an important move, because previously no one knew just how many children were present in households where domestic violence had reached the point where police were being called. The figures were more shocking than anyone might have thought.
Around 7000 children and young people all over Scotland spent last Christmas and New Year hoping that the violence might stop. And these are only the ones we know about, as Graeme Goulden, Chief Inspector who leads on the anti-violence campaign at the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) pointed out.
The release of the figures marks phase two of the campaign launched at Christmas by the VRU and Children 1st to raise awareness of the impact of domestic violence on vulnerable children and young people.
The first phase involved a young person whom Children 1st has supported to recover from the trauma caused by living with domestic violence, writing to Santa in his own words, asking not for an iPad nor a bike, but for the violence to stop. It caught the public's imagination and importantly, made people think. That was the point.
Now we have everyone's attention, we need to convince policy-makers and politicians of the need and urgency for change. Children are not just witnesses to domestic abuse incidents; this is not a crime that affects only adults – it has awful consequences for children too.
Research shows that children living in a violent home are more likely to be physically abused themselves. A significant minority will also be sexually abused and the emotional trauma caused by watching their care-giver being abused is severe – worst of all for children under eight.
This harm - real harm - being caused to children day in, day out and the truth is most of us pretend it isn't happening and are oblivious to the outcomes for its victims.
At the VRU's domestic abuse conference, Sir Harry Burns, Chief Medical Officer, outlined the impact of such social chaos on children and young people.
Those whose early childhoods are blighted by violence and substance misuse – and the instability and lack of security that accompanies these factors– are more likely to struggle in adult life, resulting in reduced life expectancy due to suicide, alcohol misuse and violence.
It is a far from virtuous circle; in reality, these societal factors create a perfect storm that toss vulnerable children around and throw them off course later in their lives. By failing to protect them in childhood, we are consigning such children to poorer life chances, in every sense.
Children 1st has over 125 years of experience of trying to build brighter futures for such children. When the charity started out, there were few other organisations involved in activity to protect children. Now we have a host of statutory agencies who have duties to protect children from harm and some fantastic charities working hard to minimise the impact of violence on children's lives and encourage change.
But it's not enough. As a society, we need to be sure that we are doing all we can to protect children from domestic abuse. Those 7000 children over Christmas means at least 30,000 a year are growing up living in fear of abuse and violence.
It's 30,000 too many, which is why the work of the VRU and others to change attitudes to violence and find long terms solutions which tackle the causes of violence is not only welcome but essential.
And it's why Children 1st is making violence and its impact on vulnerable children its key policy theme in the coming year. This isn't just their problem - it is Scotland's problem too.
It costs all of us more - much more - to provide services which attempt to patch the victims of violence up in later life than it would to prevent the storm happening in the first place. We simply cannot afford to allow violence to blight so many children's and adults' lives.
Children 1st has had enough and wants Scotland to stand up and say enough too. Enough of children not getting the best start in life; enough of children losing out on their childhood; enough of children being afraid to go home for fear of what lies behind closed doors.
We don't have to write to Santa to make the violence stop - we can decide to make that happen, if we want it enough.
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