Poll shows suspicion of child neglect cases

More than half of children polled in Scotland have noticed signs of suspected neglect in other youngsters they know.

A survey of eight to 12-year-olds found that more than half had seen children who were dirty, smelly, lonely and hungry, which are key signs of neglect.

The report also shows that almost half of such children were bullied or ignored by their peers.

The Action for Children study comes as Scottish Government figures released last month showed that 260 children a week are being referred for help on child protection grounds, a 6 per cent rise on the previous year.

The charity urged politicians across the UK to prioritise early intervention services to help tackle and prevent cases of child neglect.

It fears such services could be at risk with the Comprehensive Spending Review looming.

Louise Warde Hunter, Action for Children's strategic director of children's services in Scotland and Northern Ireland, said: "Child neglect is a real danger to children if it is not tackled early on.

"It's worrying that children as young as eight are spotting these issues in other children, confirming our fears that child neglect remains a widespread issue.

"Today's research suggests that too many children are lonely, dirty, hungry and possibly not getting the love and basic care that they deserve. What are seemingly small problems can accumulate with tragic consequences.

"We must raise awareness and make sure that the resources are there to help children as early as possible to tackle child neglect and prevent it from cascading down generations."

The poll of 250 children in Scotland found that almost a quarter (21 per cent) had seen children whose clothes do not fit them or may be old or smelly, while 17 per cent had noticed youngsters who were unwashed or often dirty.

Almost one in 20 (4 per cent) knew of children who say they do not get meals at home.