Professionals do not listen to children who live with domestic violence, claims research published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
Sarah Gorin, senior research officer at the NSPCC, found that children were more likely to seek support from family and friends, rather than a professional.
Children who received formal help said professionals did not always talk to them in ways they understood, and in some cases did not speak to them directly.
Gorin said: "Children want to be believed and respected. Not talking to them may only make their sense of confusion, isolation and frustration worse."
The review also found that many children do not mention home problems when they are with others, making it harder to offer support.
- www.jrf.org.uk.
