NSPCC calls for action on neglect of teenagers

The children’s charity said that while neglect in young children is the most common reason for adults to contact the NSPCC helpline, few adults get in touch with concerns about teenage neglect.

Peter Wanless, chief executive of the NSPCC, said that where a young child is being neglected, in many cases this will carry on into their teenage years unless there is some form of intervention.

But he said adults are less likely to be able to spot that a teenager is being neglected.

“Our data shows that while the general public are more alert and confident about reporting concerns about neglect in younger children, they are less so as they become older,” he said.

“However, unless there has been a positive intervention within the family unit, children are very unlikely to stop being neglected as they get older.

“In fact, in many cases the issue can become worse as children learn to fend for themselves out of necessity, give up on anything changing, often disguising the abuse they are suffering and are reluctant to approach services for help.”
 
Wanless said that a large rise in calls to Childline from young people where there is a concern for their mental wellbeing, including low self-esteem and unhappiness, could indicate the scale of the issue.

“We must be asking ourselves if some of these young people are presenting the longer-term signs of neglect, the impact of which can be catastrophic,” he said.
 
“We must fight for every childhood and that means everyone, the public and professionals, to be increasingly curious about the care, love and attention being offered to adolescents who may have been living with neglect for a lifetime.”   
 
The NSPCC has called for greater awareness of the tell-tale signs of neglect of older children. It said these can include mental health problems such as depression, or young people struggling with their education or having low self-esteem.

It added that young people who don’t get the love and care they need from their parents and carers may also find it difficult to maintain healthy relationships; they might have behavioural problems and they might find it difficult to communicate with others.