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Child Protection Statistics 2006/07
This publication presents statistics on Child Protection in Scotland. Headline messages are:
- In 2006/07, there were 11,960 child protection referrals, of which 47% were for boys, 50% were for girls, and 2% were for children whose gender was not known (largely due to being unborn). ( Table 1, Chart 1)
- Thirty-nine per cent of child protection referrals resulted in an inter-agency case conference in 2006/07. This compares to 38% in 2005/06 and 36% in 2004/05. ( Table 1, Table 2)
- Over 80% of children who were subject to a case conference were living at home prior to being referred. ( Table 2)
- For eighty-five per cent of children who were subject to a case conference, the primary known/suspected abuser was the child's birth parent (where this was known). ( Table 3)
- Of the 4,608 case conferences, 68% resulted in the child being placed on the local child protection register compared to 70% in the previous year. ( Table 3, Table 4)
- In 2006/07, the number of registrations on to child protection registers as a result of emotional abuse were up by 26%, and by physical neglect were up by 21%. The number of registrations due to sexual abuse were down by 11%. ( Table 4, Chart 2)
- Twelve per cent of registrations on to child protection registers in 2006/07 were of children who were known to have been previously on a child protection register. This compares with 14% in 2005/06. ( Table 5)
- The number of de-registrations from child protection registers between 1 st April 2006 and 31 st March 2007 was 3,084. Nearly 80% of these de-registrations were for children who had been on the register for less than one year. ( Table 6)
- As at 31 March 2007, there were 2,593 children on Child Protection Registers, an increase of 13% compared with the previous year. A similar number of boys and girls were on child protection registers, and just over 80 per cent of children were under the age of 11 years old. ( Table 7)
- At 31 st March 2007, 49% of all children on local child protection registers were registered because of physical neglect, 23% because of physical injury, 18% because of emotional abuse and 9% because of sexual abuse. ( Table 8)
The following charts are available:
Chart 1 - Number of child protection referrals by gender, 1999/00-2006/07
Chart 2 - Number of registrations to child protection registers following a case conference by category of abuse/risk, 1999/00-2006/07
The following tables are available:
Table 1 Number of child protection referrals: 1999/00-2006/07 by gender and age group
Table 2 Number of child protection referrals that resulted in a case conference: 1999/00-2006/07 by placement of children prior to referral
Table 3 Number of child protection referrals that resulted in a case conference: 1999/00-2006/07 by child's primary known/suspected abuser
Table 4 Number of registrations following a case conference: 1999/00-2006/07 by category of abuse/risk identified by conference
Table 5 Number of registrations following a case conference: 2005/06-2006/07 by length of time since de-registration before this registration
Table 6 Number of de-registrations: 1999/00-2006/07 by category of abuse/risk identified and length of time on register
Table 7 Number of children on child protection registers: 31 March 2000-2007 by gender and age group
Table 8 Number of children on child protection registers: 31 March 2006-2007 by category of abuse/risk identified
Table 9 Numbers of child protection referrals, subject to a case conference, registrations, de-registrations and on child protection registers: 2000-2007
Table 10 Number of children on child protection registers and population rates: 31 March 2000-2007 by local authority
Table 11 Numbers of child protection referrals, subject to a case conference, registrations, de-registrations and on child protection registers by local authority: 2006/07
BACKGROUND NOTES
Method of Collection
Each local authority is asked to submit an annual survey form providing aggregate data for children going through the process of child protection. Figures were collected for the number of child protection referrals, number of child protection referrals that resulted in a case conference, number of registrations, number of de-registrations and number of children on child protection registers. The dates for the collection is throughout the financial year, 1 st April 2006 to 31 st March 2007.
Change in Methodology
From 2005/06, to improve consistency in reporting across local authorities, the question in relation to the number of child protection referrals was revised from asking for the number of children who had a child protection referral to asking for the total number of child protection referrals and the total number of children these involved. The reason for this change was to take into account that a child may be subject to more than one child protection referral in the same year, and that more than one child could be involved in a single child protection referral. In previous years, the child was only being counted once by some local authorities, whereas from 2005/06 this was now a count of referrals and a child could be counted more than once. Also, if a number of children were included in a single child protection referral, then all children were to be counted (as if they had each had their own child protection referral).
This change in the way Child Protection Referrals were to be counted may also have affected the number of Case Conferences and any subsequent Child Protection Registrations (see Tables 2 - 5) as a child who was subject to more than one Case Conference and Child Protection registration during the year will now be counted more than once by some local authorities.
As a result of this change any comparisons pre- and post- 2005/06 should be made with caution.
Revisions to 2005/06 figures
Two local authorities revised their previously published 2005/06 figures. These revisions have resulted in the number of child protection referrals, the number of case conferences, the number of registrations and the number of de-registrations for 2005/06 being revised.
Child protection referrals in 2006/07
Local Authorities reported an increase in child protection referrals in 2006/07 because of the following:
- Improved information-sharing;
- Improved record-keeping;
- Increased single-agency and multi-agency training and working in child protection;
- Increased awareness of child protection issues by staff across a range of agencies.
Resources
The information in this News Release was obtained from the statistical return. The attached link gives details of the statistics collected from each local authority.
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Children/SurveyChildProtection
This News Release is available on the Scottish Government website at:- http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00609
More information on other children's areas and social work staffing, can be seen at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/childrenstats
General
This is a National Statistics publication. National Statistics are produced to high professional standards set out in the National Statistics Code of Practice. They undergo regular quality assurance reviews to ensure that they meet customer needs. They are produced free from any political interference.
Public enquiries ( non-media) about the information contained in this Publication Notice should be addressed to Gary Sutton, Scottish Government, Area 1-B, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh, EH6 6QQ (telephone 0131 244 1690 or e-mail gary.sutton@scotland.gsi.gov.uk ).
Media enquiries about the information in this Statistics Publication Notice should be addressed to Samantha Fiander on 0131 244 2087.
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