Interview: Shelley Hopkinson - Campaigns and public affairs officer at Action for Children
Monday, April 7, 2014
Last week, the Government acknowledged Action for Children's three-year campaign to update the law on child neglect, with plans to make the emotional cruelty of children in England and Wales illegal.
What will the change in law mean and what effect will it have?
It's about closing a loophole that currently exists in law. The criminal law on child neglect passed in 1933 only includes physical harm.
While social workers refer to civil law, which recognises emotional neglect, the police only work to criminal law so it can make it difficult for them to put children in safer situations.
A change in law would give social workers and the police a common framework to work to.
Why do you think it has taken the Government 80 years to recognise the current law on neglect needs to be broadened?
The wording of the law is even older, as it is based on the 1868 Poor Law (Amendment) Act. It wasn't until recently that we really understood the effect emotional neglect can have on children later on in life.
It is right that the law focuses on protecting children from physical harm, but the same focus needs to be given to emotional abuse.
While you can't always see the impact of emotional abuse - unlike physical abuse - we know its impact on children is just as severe and long lasting. In extreme cases it can lead to children taking their own lives.
What counts as emotional abuse and how will the amendment to the law ensure all parents aren't treated as suspects?
Emotional neglect can include scapegoating a child, humiliating or verbally attacking them, enforcing degrading punishments and forcing them to witness domestic violence.
This isn't about bad parenting; it is about parents that deliberately cause harm to their children. This proposed change in law is not meant to criminalise vulnerable parents.
What prison sentence could a person receive if found guilty of emotional neglect under the proposed change?
Currently adults convicted of physical neglect can face a maximum of up to 10 years in prison. There is no reason why this shouldn't be the same for parents found guilty of emotional cruelty.
However, the Ministry of Justice has yet to work out the details.
We want to continue to work with the Government department on this to ensure these changes affect the right people.
- The amendment to neglect laws to include emotional abuse is expected to be announced during the Queen's Speech in June.
