New campaign to tackle drink-fuelled child abuse

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Monday 25 June 2012

CHILDREN are paying a heavy price for Scotland's alcohol culture, with an estimated 80,000 children affected by parental alcohol misuse.

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Catriona Stewart

Almost one-quarter of people living in Scotland have seen a person who has been drinking being aggressive or violent towards a child, new research shows.

A study by charity Children 1st backed by the police-led Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) showed half have seen a person drunk in charge of a child.

Of these, only one-quarter moved to help the young person because, the charity said, they were unsure what to do or felt it was none of their business. Children 1st is now pushing for more members of the public to report incidents of alcohol-fuelled child abuse, in a drive to tackle the problem.Alison Todd, deputy chief executive at Children 1st, said: "Our message is that it is everybody's responsibility to protect children from violence fuelled by alcohol misuse, particularly as families prepare for the summer holidays. "There are too many situations involving alcohol which result in a child witnessing violence or bearing the brunt of it themselves."Speaking ahead of the launch of the charity's Wish I Wasn't Here Campaign, Ms Todd added that "too many children in Scotland are losing out on their childhoods" as a direct result of alcohol.Figures from the VRU suggest violence is increasingly taking place in the home rather than in public, and the police body repeated Children 1st's appeal for better reporting.Chief Inspector Graham Goulden said: "We've seen a real shift from violence taking place in public spaces to private spaces and this is resulting in more children and young people either witnessing or experiencing violence in the home. "Too many children are the victims of Scotland's drink problem. At the VRU we are determined to reduce alcohol-fuelled violence. "Drunkenness is nothing to be proud of, not when it is harming children, ruining their summer holidays and damaging their life chances. "That's why we are working with Children 1st in this summer campaign to promote everybody's responsibility to protect children."The summer campaign appeals to adults to allow children to enjoy their summer holidays and focuses on a postcard campaign featuring a message from a child, Callum, who was the victim of abuse.Keeping the child's spelling errors, the postcard reads: "We're having a BBQ at the beach, but I'm really scard. Mum's got wine! What if she hits me like last time and we get taken away again? "I've got butterflys in my tummy instead of burgers. I wish I wasn't here!"Ms Todd added: "Our work with children to help them recover from the trauma caused by abuse and violence has revealed that many have distinct memories from their summer holidays, but often for the wrong reasons. "Days that should be filled with happiness and laughter are often ruined by aggression, violence and anger due to alcohol and children can feel the effects of this for many years. As a result, too many children in Scotland are losing out on their childhoods."If you're concerned that a child is living with the fear of abuse and violence caused by a parent drinking too much, call ParentLine Scotland. Allow a child to enjoy their holidays."It is estimated that alcohol plays a part in 15 to 30% of cases of child abuse and neglect, while two-thirds of children under two years old referred to the Children's Reporter have parents with drug or alcohol addictions or both.The impacts of violence, Children 1st said, include low self-esteem, anxiety, poor health and reduced emotional well-being, with children often subject to physical and emotional abuse or witness to violence between their parents.

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Families

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New campaign to tackle drink-fuelled child abuse

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