Online survey to inform content for a debate in order to raise awareness of emotional abuse

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NSPCC - Emotional abuse

• Online survey to inform content for a debate in
  order to raise awareness of emotional abuse
• Ursula HorneFebruary 2007

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Background and methodology

• Research was designed to inform content for a
  debate sponsored by the NSPCC as part of a
  campaign to raise awareness of emotional abuse in
  children.
• Professionals working with children were
  recruited via the Society Education areas of
  Guardian Unlimited with traffic drivers promoting
  the debate. A link to the survey was also
  available on the NSPCCs microsite on Guardian
  Unlimited
• Research was conducted online using Comfirmit
  software
• 807 respondents completed the survey which ran
  for approximately 2 months from 19th December
  2006 15th February 2007
• 66 of respondents also wanted to receive the
  results of the survey and 28 had questions to
  pose to the panel for the debate

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Which of the following best matches your area of
employment?
All respondents (807)
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And for how long have you been professionally
qualified?
All respondents (807)
5
In which region of the UK do you currently live?
All respondents (807)
6
Which, if any, of the following do you think
constitutes emotional abuse?A parent or carer
frequently screaming or swearing at a child or a
child witnessing the ill-treatment of another
were slightly more likely to be thought of as
emotional abuse than preventing or forcing a
child to see a parent
All respondents (807)
7
Which, if any, of the following do you think
constitutes emotional abuse?Those working in
Social Services and Social Care were less likely
to think that preventing a child from seeing a
parent that they wanted to see was emotional
abuse
Professions Education (185), Social Care (109),
Social Services (109), Health (82), Early years
(79)
8
Which, if any, of the following do you think
constitutes emotional abuse?Londoners were
slightly less likely to think that any of the
actions were emotional abuse than those in other
regions
Region London (135), SE (156), SW Wales (129),
Midlands (119), North (201)
9
Do you believe that emotional abuse can exist on
its own or does it take place alongside other
forms of abuse?
All respondents (807)
10
Do you think the public need more awareness /
education to understand what constitutes
emotional abuse?
All respondents (807)
11
In your opinion, which form of abuse is the most
difficult to identify?
All respondents (807)
12
In your opinion, which form of abuse is the most
difficult to identify?Social services and social
care workers were slightly more likely to think
that emotional abuse was the most difficult form
of abuse to identify
Professions Education (185), Social Care (109),
Social Services (109), Health (82), Early years
(79)
13
In your opinion, which form of abuse is the most
difficult to identify?Those who had worked with
children for longer than 5 years were slightly
more likely to think that emotional abuse was
harder to identify than other forms of abuse too
Length qualified In training/lt1yr (129), 1-5yrs
(162), 5-10yrs (135), 10yrs (381)
14
In your opinion, which form of abuse is the most
difficult to identify?Those living in London or
the Midlands were slightly more likely to think
that sexual abuse was more difficult to identify
Region London (135), SE (156), SW Wales (129),
Midlands (119), North (201)
15
Do you think that there is enough support
available to help families overcome the effects
of emotional abuse?
All respondents (807)
16
Do you think that there is enough support to help
families overcome the effects of emotional
abuse?Those working in Social care were the most
likely professionals to think that there wasnt
sufficient support for families dealing with
emotional abuse.
Professions Education (185), Social Care (109),
Social Services (109), Health (82), Early years
(79)
17
Do you think that there is enough support to help
families overcome the effects of emotional
abuse?Those who had been qualified the longest
were the least likely to think there was enough
support for families
Length qualified In training/lt1yr (129), 1-5yrs
(162), 5-10yrs (135), 10yrs (381)
18
Do you think that there is enough support
available to help families overcome the effects
of emotional abuse?Respondents in the Midlands
were the least likely to know if there was enough
resource to help families
Region London (135), SE (156), SW Wales (129),
Midlands (119), North (201)
19
Do you think you are seeing more cases of
emotional abuse now than 5 years ago?
All qualified for over 5 years (516)
20
Do you think you are seeing more cases of
emotional abuse now than 5 years ago?Those
working in Social services and health care were
the most likely to think that the number of
emotional abuse cases had risen in the last 5
years and social care workers the least likely.
Qualified for over 5 years Education (113),
Social Care (74), Social Services (67), Health
(61), Early years (43) CAUTION LOW BASE
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Do you think you are seeing more cases of
emotional abuse now than 5 years ago?Those who
had worked with children for over 10 years were
less likely to think that they were seeing more
emotional abuse cases than those who had worked
in the industry for less time
Length qualified 5-10yrs (135), 10yrs (381)
22
Do you think you are seeing more cases of
emotional abuse now than 5 years ago?Those in
the Midlands were more likely to think that they
were seeing more emotional abuse cases
Region London (135), SE (156), SW Wales (129),
Midlands (119), North (201)
23
In the last 5 years have you had to deal with a
case where the primary form of abuse was
emotional abuse?
All respondents (807)
24
In the last 5 years have you had to deal with a
case where the primary form of abuse was
emotional abuse?Those in Education and Early
years were the least likely to have dealt with
emotional abuse
Professions Education (185), Social Care (109),
Social Services (109), Health (82), Early years
(79)
25
In the last 5 years have you had to deal with a
case where the primary form of abuse a child was
experiencing was emotional abuse?Over half of
those who had worked with children for less than
a year had dealt with an emotional abuse case
Length qualified In training/lt1yr (129), 1-5yrs
(162), 5-10yrs (135), 10yrs (381)
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In the last 5 years have you had to deal with a
case where the primary form of abuse a child was
experiencing was emotional abuse?
Region London (135), SE (156), SW Wales (129),
Midlands (119), North (201)
27
Do you feel you have the knowledge/training to
deal effectively with emotional abuse cases?Less
than half of professionals working with children
thought that they had enough knowledge to deal
effectively with an emotional abuse case
All respondents (807)
28
Do you feel you have the knowledge/training to
deal effectively with emotional abuse
cases?Those working in Education or Early years
were the least likely to think that they had
enough training to deal with an emotional abuse
case. Social care workers were the most likely.
Professions Education (185), Social Care (109),
Social Services (109), Health (82), Early years
(79)
29
Do you feel you have the knowledge/training to
deal effectively with emotional abuse
cases?Feeling you had had sufficient training to
deal with an emotional abuse case increased in
direct correlation to the length of time as a
qualified professional
Length qualified In training/lt1yr (129), 1-5yrs
(162), 5-10yrs (135), 10yrs (381)
30
Do you feel you have the knowledge and training
to be able to deal effectively with emotional
abuse cases?Those in the Midlands and North were
more likely to think that they had the experience
to deal with emotional abuse cases
Region London (135), SE (156), SW Wales (129),
Midlands (119), North (201)
31
Do you think the health social care professions
have enough knowledge/training to effectively
protect children from emotional abuse?
All respondents (807)
32
Do you think health social care workers have
enough training to protect children from
emotional abuse?Those working in social care
were the least likely to think that there was
enough training within their profession or in
health but social services were slightly more
likely to think that they had enough training
Professions Education (185), Social Care (109),
Social Services (109), Health (82), Early years
(79)
33
Do you think the health social care professions
have enough knowledge/training to effectively
protect children from emotional abuse?Length of
qualification/experience of working with children
increased perceptions of there being a lack of
knowledge within social and health care
professions about emotional abuse
Length qualified In training/lt1yr (129), 1-5yrs
(162), 5-10yrs (135), 10yrs (381)
34
Do you think the health social care professions
have enough knowledge/training to effectively
protect children from emotional abuse?A small
minority in each region thought that health and
social care workers had enough knowledge to
protect children from emotional abuse
Region London (135), SE (156), SW Wales (129),
Midlands (119), North (201)
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Questions for debate
School is one of the biggest institutions that
offer stability in childrens lives do you think
more could be done in teacher training about
working with children that live with emotional
abuse?
Whilst identifying emotional abuse is a
challenge in its own right why does it take so
long for agencies to respond compared to other
types of abuse?
In my experience the difficulty in protecting
children is when there is only emotional abuse
apparent and the legal system will not take a
case forward because of tangible evidence. How do
we change this?
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Summary

• Professionals working with children had very high
  levels of awareness as to what constitutes
  emotional abuse, although awareness was slightly
  lower when parents were brought into the
  equation.
• Research provides a strong case for the need to
  raise awareness of emotional abuse. The majority
  thought it was the most difficult form of abuse
  to identify, particularly amongst those who had
  been qualified the longest.
• 82 thought that support for families having to
  deal with the effects of emotional abuse was not
  adequate, rising to 93 amongst Social Care
  workers.
• 44 reported dealing with more cases of emotional
  abuse now than 5 years ago and ¾ had dealt with
  an emotional abuse case within the last 5 years.
• Those working in Education/Early years were the
  least likely to have dealt with an emotional
  abuse case and were the least likely profession
  to think that they had enough knowledge and
  training in order to do so.
• 71 didnt think that Health and Social Care
  professionals had enough training to deal with
  emotional abuse cases, again increasing to 78
  amongst Social Care workers. Although Social
  Services were slightly more likely to think that
  they had enough training than other professions.