4,000 calls to ChildLine after arguments with parents

A report by children’s charity the NSPCC revealed most of the callers were teenagers and one in five said they had been hit during a row.

Girls were four times as likely as boys to call the helpline about arguments with their parents, with 60 girls phoning in for help every week.  

One of the main reasons for calling ChildLine was family problems.

One 15 year-old-girl told ChildLine: “I don’t get on with my mum and dad.  My dad hits me.  I told them I’d go to social services and they said if I did that I would be kicked out.”

NSPCC head of child protection awareness, Chris Cloke said: “Family fights cause children a lot of pain and distress and make them feel isolated.

Families who are fighting can often benefit from family support services. The NSPCC is encouraging parents to get help before problems escalate.”