Child Abuse and its Protection in the UK

Running head: CHILD ABUSE AND ITS PROTECTION IN THE UK
Child Abuse and its Protection in the UK
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1CHILD ABUSE AND ITS PROTECTION IN THE UK
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Child Abuse................................................................................................................................3
The Risks....................................................................................................................................4
Impact of Abuse and Neglect on Children.................................................................................5
Legislations to protect Child Abuse in the UK..........................................................................6
Recommendations......................................................................................................................8
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................9
Reference..................................................................................................................................11

2CHILD ABUSE AND ITS PROTECTION IN THE UK
Introduction
United Kingdom does not provide for a single compact legislation that lays down all
the guideline to protect a child who is in dire need of care and compassion. However, it
provides for a pool of different laws that strives to give protective measures to neglected and
abusive children in bits and pieces. The Government has laid down various legislations that
protect children and adults from being harmed and abused.
As discussed by Reder and Duncan (2013), in spite of the presence of several
regulations, the nation lacks a stringent federal law that comprises of the parameters and
threshold of the different types of abuses, the different risk factors that are triggered due to
the abuses and the protective measure of such abuses. The local authorities, who are directed
to protect the potentially neglected and abused children, are clearly not doing their best to
address the issues (Lutzker 2013).
The nonprofit organizations are not only helping to prevent the issues by way of
assigning social workers and counselors but also generating social awareness regarding the
issue of child abuse and its prevention (Actionforchildren.org.uk 2019). The paper strives to
discuss the different risks and its impact on the children including Saryah and her younger
siblings Damon and Jack, and discusses the various recommendations to help the children.
Child Neglect Case
The United Kingdom judiciary provides strong legislative framework for the
protection of children in England. The Children Act 1989 along with the Children Act 2004
provide strong base that creates accountability and encourages stronger partnership among
agencies. In addition to the two acts mentioned, the government has further strengthened

3CHILD ABUSE AND ITS PROTECTION IN THE UK
children’s protection by amending the two acts with the Social Work Act 2017 thus providing
more power to the social workers.
The section 10 of the Children Act 2004 makes the local authority responsible for
promoting inter-agency cooperation to improve children’s welfare. The government also
considers the abuses other than child neglect deeply. Neglect however, encompasses other
abuses as well (Brandon et al. 2014). The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Children (NSPCC) states that child abuse means an act of neglect, abuse or sheer cruelty
towards a child by parents, carer or any other person who has the responsibility to take care
of the child, that causes adverse effect on the child’s mind and subsequently on his psyche
(Oates 2013).
The Risks
In the given case study, the social worker could point out several risk factors
amounting to abuse that the children have been facing in her home.
 The risk of neglect
Saryah has been facing nutritional deficit as the safeguarding lead (SL) found her
losing weight over a long period. She has been marked out as significantly underweight
for her age. Her teachers have reported of her being not eaten breakfast or dinner on
several occasions. Similarly, Jack has also been found to be under-weight, which also
suggests that he might be under a risk of poor nutrition as well.
 The risk of physical abuse
Clear risk of physical abuse could be found in this case from the bruises all over her
body (Christian and Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect 2015). She has been found
standing bare feet in nightgown in the cold at 5 degrees. Jarrod, the stepfather has been