Petition to highlight child's view of domestic violence

By Janaki Mahadevan Tuesday, 23 June 2009

Nearly 25,000 people have signed a petition urging the government to see domestic violence from a child's point of view.

Sixteen year old NSPCC campaigner, Sophie Kean hands the Minister for Children, Dawn Primarolo a damaged doll's house containing a public petition urging the Government to see domestic violence from a child's point of view.

The petition, which calls for the government to take action to address the shortage of refuges and therapy services for child victims of domestic violence, was handed to children's minister Dawn Primarolo.

A survey published by child protection charity the NSPCC today, found that during nine out of 10 incidents of domestic violence, children are either in the same or next room.

Of the 1,075 11- to 16-year-olds questioned, one in 12 children has been kept awake at night listening to domestic violence.

NSPCC head of policy and public affairs, Diana Sutton said: "The government still treats domestic violence as largely an adult problem when clearly children are victims too."

The petition also urges the government to train police, social services and other professionals to deal with the impact of domestic violence on any children in the family and teach every child in school about domestic violence, how to get help and how to have respectful personal relationships.