This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Child protection statistics for the years ended 31 March 1997 and 1998
21/12/1999
A Publication of the Government Statistical Service
Statistics on child protection covering each of the years ending 31 March 1997 and 31 March 1998 are published today in the information note " Child Protection Statistics for the Years Ended 31st March 1997 and 1998".
The main points are:
- Approximately 6,900 children were referred to local authorities for child protection inquiries in the year ended 31 March 1998;
- 42 per cent of these children were the subject of an inter-agency case conference;
- In 73 per cent of instances where children were subject to a case conference, the primary source of risk to the child was known or suspected to be the child's birth parent(s);
- Two thirds of children who were subject to a case conference had their names placed on the local child protection register;
- Just over 2,300 children were on local child protection registers at 31 March 1998.
BACKGROUND
1. The statistics in the information note have been derived from returns provided by local authorities about children who have been referred to authorities because of concerns that they may have been abused or may be at risk of abuse. For this purpose, abuse is defined under the following categories:
Physical injury
Sexual abuse
Non-organic failure to thrive
Emotional abuse
Physical neglect
2. Public enquiries (non-media) about the information contained in this News Release should be addressed to Alan Fleming, Scottish Executive Education Department, Floor 1-B, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh, EH6 6QQ (tel. 0131 244 3745 or e-mail alan.fleming @scotland.gov.uk).
3. There is no bulletin publication for these figures.
News Release: SE1754/1999
21 Dec 1999