A Review of Child Neglect in Scotland

APPENDIX C: STATISTICS FOR SCOTLAND

• As 31^st July 2011, there were 2,571 children on Child Protection Registers - an increase of 2 per cent compared with 31^st March 2010.
• At 31st July 2011, there were 80 'unborn' children on Child Protection Registers. However, this figure cannot be compared with previous years' figures. Previously, some local authorities did not place 'unborn' children on Child Protection Registers until the child was born but there have been changes to the way information has been recorded in light of the revised National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland (Scottish Government 2010a), which states that 'unborn' children should be placed on Child Protection Registers if this is required (and not wait until the child is born) (Scottish Government 2011).
• Registrations following an initial or pre-birth case conference by initial category of abuse in year ending 31^st July 2011:
  • Physical neglect 1,646 (42%)
  • Emotional abuse 1,040 (27%)
  • Physical injury 772 (20%)
  • Sexual abuse 302 (8%)
  • Failure to thrive 1 (0%)
  • Unknown 123 (3%)

The figures for 2010/11 are not directly comparable due to a change in the way the category of abuse/risk was for Case Conferences that took place after 1 August 2011 following the implementation of the new Concerns/Risks identified at Case Conferences introduced by the revised National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland (Scottish Government 2010a). The numbers given above are higher than the figures presented in Table 2 within the report. The totals above relate to the number of registrations in the year ending 31^st July 2011 and the figures in table 2 reflect the total number of children registered; the figures above are higher because some children were registered more than once in the year ending 31^st July 2011.

• The age and gender of children placed on the Child Protection Register was as follows:
  • Unborn 80 (3%)
  • 0-4 (male) 647 (25%)
    (-2% change compared with 2010)
  • 0-4 (female) 630 (25%)
    (5% change compared with 2010)
  • 5-10 (male) 428 (17%)
    (1% change compared with 2010)
  • 5-10 (female) 375 (15%)
    (-4% change compared with 2010)
  • 11-15 (male) 205 (8%)
    (9% change compared with 2010)
  • 11-15 (female) 194 (8%)
    (-4% change compared with 2010)
  • 16 and over (male) 2 (0%)
    (100% change compared with 2010)
  • 16 and over (female) 10 (0%)
    (233% change compared with 2010)
    The figures for children under 5 placed on the Register has risen by only
    1 percent, however, this still accounts for 53% of all children place on the Register.

• The ethnicity of children placed on the Child Protection Register was as follows:
  • White 2,131 (85%)
  • Mixed ethnicity 41 (2%)
  • Asian, Asian Scottish or Asian British 7 (0%)
  • Black, Black Scottish or Black British 27 (1%)
  • Other ethnic background 20 (1%)
  • Not disclosed/not known 292 (12%)

• Children placed on the Child Protection Register with a disability was as follows:
  • With disability 118 (5%)
  • No disability 1,879 (75%)
  • Not known 513 (20%)