Rise in number of children at risk in Scotland

The number of children in Scotland at risk of physical, sexual
or emotional abuse has increased, writes Nicola
Barry.

New figures show 2,018 children are on local child protection
registers, 18 more than the previous year. Of the children on the
registers, just over half are boys and eight in 10 were under the
age of 11.

The researchers found that in over three quarters of all case
conferences, the primary source of abuse or risk to the child was
known or suspected to be one or both of the child’s natural
parents.

In 84 per cent of instances where children were subject to a
case conference by social services agencies, they had been living
at home before being referred.

Almost 7,200 children were referred to local authorities for
child protection inquiries last year, 8 per cent more than the
previous year.