CYP Now - Greater understanding of child-to-parent abuse needed across London, Sadiq Khan warns

School exclusions, undiagnosed mental health issues and unidentified special educational needs and disabilities are among the key drivers behind child-to-parent abuse, the mayor of London has said.

Sadiq Khan speaks to professionals and families with experience of child-to-parent abuse.

Social workers, school staff and other frontline practitioners working with vulnerable children have been warned to expect a “continued increase” of child-to-parent violence or abuse in new research commissioned by London’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU).

A lack of standard definition of child-to-parent abuse – which means children under-16 are treated as adult perpetrators of domestic abuse – combined with a lack of co-ordination across local authority, health and emergency services leads to opportunities for early intervention being missed, according to the report.

It highlights that trauma, exploitation and extra-familial harm, exposure to domestic abuse, unmet emotional and psychological needs and unidentified special educational needs and disabilities may make families more vulnerable to such abuse.

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