The statistics are found in a report, Child Maltreatment in the Family, published last week. Among its findings were that children who grew up in lone parent or broken families were between three and six times more likely to have experienced serious abuse, although some abuse may have preceded a family breakdown. In total, five per cent of children experience more than one type of serious abuse by parents.
Mary Marsh, NSPCC director and chief executive, said, 'Violence between adults caring for a child can sound a warning bell that a child is at risk of serious maltreatment. We must all be alert to the ways in which destructive family relationships can damage a child and act on any concerns that a child is at risk of abuse.'
She said danger signals to look out for included children who are often hungry, dirty, constantly 'put down' or afraid of their parents or carers.
The report called for children and young people to be given greater legal protection from physical assault within the family and said all professionals who work with children in nurseries and schools must have multi-agency training to ensure signs of neglect are not ignored.
Last Friday the NSPCC relaunched its Full Stop campaign with a television advertisement campaign drawing on 'Tom and Jerry' imagery to show a cartoon character 'bouncing back' from several attacks by his father. Posters (right) will appear on 1,300 billboards across the UK later this month.
* See 'In my view' on page 34.