Findings from a series of papers on child maltreatment, published lastweek in medical journal The Lancet, reveal that the majority of abusedchildren in Britain are not even referred to social services.
According to the research, between 4 and 16 per cent of children sufferphysical abuse, such as hitting, punching, beating and burning. Around 5to 10 per cent of girls and 1 to 5 per cent of boys every year areforced to have penetrative sex, usually by a family friend orrelative.
Professor Ruth Gilbert from the University of London's Institute ofChild Health said that while childcare workers, teachers and schoolcounsellors are in a position to spot abuse, they are failing to raiseconcerns with social services because they believe that it won't helpthe child and could even make things worse if they are taken intocare.
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