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  5. Most UK adults believe emotional abuse in childhood can have a lasting psychological effect but one in six cannot spot the signs

Most UK adults believe emotional abuse in childhood can have a lasting psychological effect but one in six cannot spot the signs

We want to remind people of the importance of free online resources like Listen up, Speak up.

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  • New findings show adults across the UK struggle to identify emotional abuse.
  • The survey revealed 94% of participants believe emotional abuse in childhood can have a lasting psychological effect well into adulthood.
  • We’re releasing this data as part of our Listen up, Speak up campaign, aiming to inspire a million people to take action in keeping children safe.
  • At a recent panel talk, Anna Williamson and Michael Gunning discussed the importance of people speaking up when they have concerns.

New findings reveal that 94% of UK adults who took part in the survey believe that emotional abuse in childhood can have a lasting psychological effect well into adulthood.

We comissioned a YouGov survey1 that found that on average almost one in six (17%) UK adults could not correctly identify examples of emotional abuse.

Learn more about Listen up, Speak up

Worried about a child?

You can contact the NSPCC Helpline by calling 0808 800 5000, emailing help@NSPCC.org.uk or completing our report abuse online form.

Find out more

Identifying emotional abuse

Survey respondents were given a series of behaviours and asked to correctly identify what was deemed as emotional abuse. The scenarios where adults failed to identify emotional abuse correctly, included:

  • Being overly controlling of a child's life (25%).
  • Never showing any emotions in interactions with a child (26%).
  • Pushing a child too hard or not recognising their limitations (27%).

The research also found that two thirds (66%) of adults surveyed had not done any training or reading to help them recognise the signs of emotional abuse.

Emotional abuse is any type of abuse that involves the continual emotional mistreatment of a child. It can often be difficult to recognise, sometimes showing limited external signs.

Research suggests 1 in 15 children in the UK will experience emotional abuse,2 highlighting how prevalent the issue is and that it is a topic young people contact Childline about on a regular basis.

Last year we delivered almost 3,000 counselling sessions to children and young people where emotional abuse was the main concern, a 5% increase compared to 2022/23.3

One girl, aged 17,4 told Childline:

“Mum’s never hit me, but it still feels abusive. She always tells me she hates me, that I’m selfish, that I’m stupid. When she’s angry she breaks my stuff and blames it on me. She controls my friendships too; she says no one would want to be my friend anyway. I feel so defeated and drained living with this every day.”

Listen up, Speak up

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This new data highlights the importance of free online resources like Listen up, Speak up.

Listen up, Speak up provides simple tips and advice on spotting signs a child might be at risk and steps you can take to help. The tips can be found online and anyone can take part in a workshop run for free by local NSPCC teams, either in person or online. Workshops are being delivered in schools, businesses and community organisations across the UK.

Through a series of everyday scenarios, participants learn some of the signs that a child might be at risk, showing that not all situations are black and white, how to approach difficult conversations, and who to contact if they are concerned about a child or their family.

To raise awareness of Listen up, Speak up, a panel comprising of celebrities, including TV presenter and Childline counsellor, Anna Williamson, and international competitive swimmer, Michael Gunning, discussed the impact of child abuse and the need for the public to speak up.

Get tips and advice

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NSPCC’s CEO, Chris Sherwood, said:

"It is concerning that a sixth of UK adults aren't able to correctly identify emotional abuse. We know that emotional abuse can have a devastating and long-lasting impact on children's wellbeing and development, affecting their mental health, and relationships well into adulthood.

"The NSPCC is here to support any child who has experienced any kind of abuse. We are also fully committed to creating a nation of adults who are passionate about preventing harm from happening to a child. With our Childline service delivering almost 3,000 counselling sessions about emotional abuse last year alone, we understand the scale and seriousness of this issue across the UK.

"That's why Listen up, Speak up is so vital. In just ten minutes, we can help adults learn to recognise both the obvious and subtle signs a child might be at risk and take action to support them. Every adult has the power to make a difference.”

As part of their partnership with us, the housing association Clarion Housing Group has committed to ensuring their employees across the UK are familiar with Listen up, Speak up.

Clare Miller, Chief Executive of Clarion Housing Group said:

“By facilitating sessions with the NSPCC to share their expertise and safeguarding advice, we have been able to ensure hundreds of our colleagues across the country have already taken part in Listen up, Speak up workshops.

“We, like the NSPCC, are committed to making a positive impact in the community, and believe Listen up, Speak up is a terrific opportunity for everyone to find out how they can offer support to families or young people when they need it."

NSPCC Press Office

Contact our national and regional press offices for enquiries about our work or to request interviews.

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A group of adults and children representing different professions and ethnicities with the words 'Listen up, Speak up, take our 10-minute digital training and help keep children safe' on the left hand side.

Listen up, Speak up

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Emotional abuse

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Reporting abuse

Whether you want to report child abuse and neglect, or are worried about a child and not sure what to do, we have advice for you.
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References

  1. 1) The NSPCC worked with YouGov to conduct the survey. They surveyed 4,408 adults across the UK between the 4–6 February 2025, of which 4,242 consented to taking the survey.

  2. 2) It is difficult to measure exactly how many children in the UK experience emotional abuse. However, research with 2,275 young people aged 11-17 about their experiences of emotional abuse suggests around 1 in 15 children in the UK have been emotionally abused. Radford, L. et al. (2011) Child abuse and neglect in the UK today. London: NSPCC

  3. 3) Between April 2023-March 2024, Childline delivered 2,879 counselling sessions where the main concern was emotional abuse. In the same period in 2022/23, Childline delivered 2,752 counselling sessions about this topic.

  4. 4) Snapshots are based on real Childline service users but are not necessarily direct quotes. All names and potentially identifying details have been changed to protect the identity of the child or young person involved.