Contacts if you suspect child abuse

[Amethyst]

If you have concerns about a child or young person, or if you are a child or young person and someone has asked you to do something that makes you feel uncomfortable either on or offline, you can report through the CEOP safety centre at www.ceop.police.uk


CEOP's Thinkuknow programme provides information for children, young people, parents and carers about staying safe online and preventing sexual abuse and exploitation. Parents and carers can visit Thinkuknow for advice on keeping their children safe.


If you are a child and you want to speak to someone in confidence about any issue that is upsetting you, you can contact ChildLine on 0800 1111 or visit the Childline website to to chat to a counsellor in confidence.
If you are an adult and you have concerns about a child you can speak to the NSPCC adult helpline on 0808 800 5000 or email help@nspcc.org.uk


If you have a real emergency or need immediate help you should call 999 or contact your local police.


The Lucy Faithfull Foundation is a registered child protection charity dedicated to reducing the risk of children being sexually abused. It works with entire families affected by sexual abuse, including adult male and female sexual abusers, young people with inappropriate sexual behaviours, victims of abuse, and other family members. More information for adults concerned about their own behaviour, or that of someone they know, is available from Stopitnow. More information for parents is available from ParentsProtect.

[geoffrey]

Re: Contacts if you suspect child abuse

Whether you are a young person or someone who is concerned about a young person do remember that every youth organisation and church and school should have its own safeguarding officer who you can talk to. Sometimes the suspected problem can be resolved as with the concern about the youth leader who picked up a little girl and kissed her. It was his own daughter. Or the youth leaders who took their group to a nudist colony. It was a continental beach where there were some 'topless ladies' and some small children in the nude as is their custom. But always be on the safe side.

[Johnboy007]

Re: Contacts if you suspect child abuse

Abuse of children, is for many, a taboo subject to discuss.
It doesn't only concern the sexual side, but the physical and mental aspects as well.
Some know, or suspect, that their partners, or other family members, are guilty of these offences, but say nothing, for fear of consequences. Or they just pretend that it isn't happening.
As geoffrey stated, every youth organisation, church and school should have its own safeguarding officer.
But as we all know, abuse of children is often carried out by the very people, we have learned to trust.
Thanks Boss lady for posting the contact details for help and advise.

[wales01man]

Re: Contacts if you suspect child abuse

Did the Catholic Church not employ a safeguarding officer ? When the POPE informs the world of the number of pervert priest and above are suspected the Vacancy wasn't gilled?

[EdwardJorgensen]

Re: Contacts if you suspect child abuse

Thanks for sharing these information here, I really glad to know about having this helpline numbers. It is very great information which is very helpful as well as for their parents. They can easily tell about their problems here.

[geoffrey]

Re: Contacts if you suspect child abuse

The Roman Catholic church (not the Catholic Church as the Orthodox and Anglicans are also Catholics) admits its serious failings to protect children, mainly in Ireland, but it now has a very robust safeguarding procedure in place everywhere. As to the RC church 'moving around' priests who had abused children. Do remember that it was not just the RC church or any other church that did this many years ago but it happened in all walks of life. I can recall a teacher at an all-girls school who was convicted of abusing girls who got a job in an all-boys school and a press story of a police officer who abused children who was demoted and moved to traffic duties. The punishment for a 14th century monk who abused a boy singer was bread and water for two weeks except Sundays! Different degrees of severity have been attached to child abuse in different countries and at different times so we must not see what happened in past times, even 30 years ago, as though they happened today. ALL churches, schools, local authorities, and youth / children's organisations now have very robust policies in place. Take note that almost all the child abuse cases coming before the courts are 'historical'. This is surely due to these very policies working well although there will, sadly, always be a few cases as there will always be a 'first time' when a man or woman who was thought to be Ok was otherwise but not discovered/

[PAWS]

Re: Contacts if you suspect child abuse

In Ireland the abuse was not just ignored by the catholic hierarchy but also by the state. From the late 1920’s until, well almost 2000 (the last Magdalene laundry type convent did not close until 1996) the state protected the church. Physical, mental and sexual abuse of children and other vulnerable people was almost par for the course in most institutions. Yep, I know that sounds like a sweeping generalisation and I know a lot of people have exaggerated or even lied about their experiences but the truth is all manner of abuses went on in most of these hell holes.
In the 1940’sand 50’s, thanks to state legislation, Ireland institutionalised more people per capita than any other country in the world! That is a fact. When I say institutions I include psychiatric hospitals, industrial schools and unmarried mothers homes which were also the dumping ground for young girls who were too flighty or even looked too pretty!!!!. If a young girl accused anyone, especially a member of the clergy of abusing her she would end up in a convent or psychiatric hospital. She would be incarcerated without any questions asked and the law made sure she could not leave. Young boys who complained about being abused were sent to places such as the Artane Boys School. In this dreadful place young boys were constantly abused. I studied one particular case where a young chap threw himself out through a top story window, onto railings. This was a boy considered to be a ‘hard nut’. He preferred such an horrific death to living with constant abuse. His death did not even merit a mention in the papers never mind provoking any sort of enquiry.
The law did not just ignore abuse, it punished those who even mentioned it. As a consequence it continued and children and the vulnerable learned to keep their mouth's shut. When it came to ‘Iron Fist' governing B***ards like De Valera made Stalin look like Willy Wonka.