Children who live with difficult issues such as domestic violence and parental substance misuse do not know where to go to get formal help, according to a report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
It finds that children are unlikely to seek the help of professionals straight away, and that even when they do, many have a negative experience.
They are often afraid that professionals will not believe them and say that language is used that they cannot understand. They are not always confident that involving professionals will make things better and often think that things could actually be made worse.
The literature review found that some children will not talk to anyone about their difficulties at home, and that boys were more likely to leave talking to someone until they neared crisis point.
Many children coped by using avoidance and distraction strategies, which made identifying them even harder. The report suggested that a good idea would be to make sure children could access a male or female helper.
Informal support was used the most, with children most likely to talk to their parents and friends, and then siblings, grandparents or even their pets.
Children desperately wanted information that was appropriate for their age to help them understand their parents’ problems. The research identified a need for confidential helplines as well as specialist services. Opportunities to get away from home and to get to know other children in the same boat were also said to be useful.
Understanding what children say: Children’s experiences of
domestic violence, parental substance misuse and parental health
problems from www.jrf.org.uk
