EVERY child deserves a happy, safe childhood, looked after by parents or carers who love them. That feels like it shouldn’t need to be said, but sadly there are children across Bradford who live in households where domestic abuse has a huge effect on their lives.

New research by the NSPCC revealed last week that the number of child protection referrals for domestic abuse made by police to children’s services across the UK had risen in the last year. Here in West Yorkshire, there were 3,664 referrals made in 2020/21 - an increase of just over seven per cent on the 2019/20 figures.

Domestic abuse can have a devastating impact on a child’s confidence and mental health. Last year our NSPCC helpline saw a record number of contacts about domestic abuse from adults, with concerns about the wellbeing of a child.

From this month, children will be recognised as victims thanks to changes to the Domestic Abuse Act, which the NSPCC and other charities have campaigned for. These are welcome amendments but there’s still more to be done.We don’t believe there is enough support in place for young victims. We’re calling on the Government to do more to ensure no child misses out on help they need.

Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide accommodation-based services, such as refuges, when families escape domestic abuse. But there is not the same requirement to provide specialist, therapeutic support in the community, needed by the majority of victims, putting these services at risk of being axed by cash-strapped councils. Figures from the Women’s Aid Federation of England show an estimated 148,852 children were supported by community-based services in 2020/21 compared with 11,890 by refuges.

This support is needed now more than ever, as the pandemic exacerbated the risk of domestic abuse with children trapped in abusive homes, largely cut off from vital support networks during lockdowns. These figures are the tip of the iceberg, as a lot of domestic abuse goes unreported. Domestic abuse can have a long-lasting effect on children. They are victims too, and deserve support as well as adults experiencing domestic abuse.

The NSPCC will keep campaigning to ensure children are given support they need. If you’ve heard or seen something that makes you think a young person is experiencing domestic abuse, contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or email help@nspcc.org.uk. Our Childline service for young people to speak to someone about domestic abuse or other worries is at 0800 11 11 and childline.org.uk