The journal says 15 per cent of girls and five per cent of boys have been sexually abused by the age of 18; between four and 16 per cent suffer physical abuse and 10 per cent of all children are exposed to emotional abuse. Neglect is the most common form of abuse, contributing to 44 per cent of all reported cases in the UK.
Even child abuse in settings such as schools and community health services is significantly under-reported, says the report. In a UK study of 43 schools, teachers and other staff blamed lack of access to qualified social workers, lack of feedback, and concerns about social services' ability to handle cases, for failing to report cases.
Professor Ruth Gilbert, of the University College London Institute of Child Health, who authored much of the series, said: "Doubts are widespread that the benefits of reporting suspected cases of maltreatment to child-protection services outweigh the harms."
She added: "If we were to report all of these cases, children's professional services simply could not cope. The message we are trying to get across is ‘no monitoring or assessment without intervention'. We need to be offering earlier intervention such as parent training before we consider referring these children to social services."
Dr. Patricia Hamilton, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said the research highlighted the importance of training, strategies to improve recognition of maltreatment and a strong evidence base. "Our society has to accept that child abuse happens and that paediatricians and social workers have a duty to act when they suspect any forms of maltreatment," she said.
