CEO Blog - Protecting Their Future: Why Safeguarding Children from Domestic Abuse Should Be a National Priority

By Cherryl Henry-Leach, CEO of Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse 
April 2025 | Child Abuse Prevention Month 

Every child deserves to grow up in a world where they feel safe, heard, and protected. But for far too many children in the UK, home is not a sanctuary—it is a place of fear, chaos, and harm. As we mark Child Abuse Prevention Month this April, I want to speak directly to the urgency of protecting children from the devastating impact of domestic abuse. 

Domestic abuse is not just an issue between adults. It is a child protection issue. It is a public health crisis. And it is one of the most significant barriers to a child’s right to a safe and fulfilling childhood. 

We know the statistics. We have heard the numbers. 
One in seven children in the UK will experience domestic abuse before they turn 18. 
Thousands will witness violence that leaves invisible scars. 
Some will not live to tell their stories. 
Others will grow up repeating what they’ve learned in silence. 

But behind every number is a child—a frightened eight-year-old struggling to sleep at night; a teenager navigating the trauma of witnessing harm to a parent; a young child acting out in school because they don’t have the words to explain what they’ve seen. 

Let me be clear: children who experience domestic abuse are not passive witnesses. They are victims in their own right. 

And when we fail to see them, to hear them, to act for them—we fail in our duty to protect. 

A Promise to the Next Generation 

At Standing Together, our vision is bold but necessary: 
A world where domestic abuse and violence against women and girls simply do not happen. 
Until then, we are building a world where every survivor is supported, where perpetrators are held accountable, and where every sector, service, and individual shares the responsibility of ending abuse—including the abuse experienced by children. 

This is not just a policy commitment. It is a promise. 
To every child who has ever felt afraid in their own home: 
We see you. We hear you. We stand with you. We are working to build a future where you are safe. 

One of the most effective tools we have in protecting children is our Coordinated Community Response (CCR). By bringing together professionals across health, education, housing, criminal justice, and social care, we ensure no child or survivor slips through the cracks. 

Because when it comes to domestic abuse, falling through the net can mean death, life-changing injury, or a future stolen by trauma. 

Every professional—every teacher, GP, social worker, midwife—must be trained to spot the signs and indicators of abuse, know how to respond, and feel supported in taking action. That’s why we welcome mandatory reporting of sexual abuse as a vital step forward: a clear and collective signal that children must never be left to face abuse alone. 

But mandatory reporting is not enough. Reporting all forms of child abuse should be mandatory.  And without the proper tools, training, and resourcing. We cannot expect professionals to carry this burden without support. That is why trauma-informed care, inter-agency collaboration, and ongoing professional development must underpin all safeguarding activity. 

Children who experience domestic abuse often live in a state of survival—hypervigilant, withdrawn, or acting out in ways misunderstood by the systems meant to help them. Without trauma-informed approaches, we risk retraumatising them through our interventions. 

At Standing Together, we advocate for survivor- and child-centred models that honour the full complexity of trauma. That means services that listen more than they diagnose, environments that feel safe, and pathways to healing that are accessible and culturally sensitive. 

It also means recognising intersectionality—how race, disability, poverty, and immigration status intersect to create additional layers of vulnerability. Black and minoritised children, disabled children, refugee children—they all face greater barriers to accessing protection and care. Our response must reflect their realities. 

A Call to Action: Protecting the Promise of Childhood 

Children should never be collateral damage of abuse in their homes.  They are human beings with rights, with voices, and with dreams. Our work—as professionals, as organisations, as a society—is to safeguard - not just their present safety - but their entire future. 

We are calling on: 

• The Government to ensure sustainable, ring-fenced funding for child protection and domestic abuse services. 

• All agencies to commit to trauma-informed, survivor- and child-centred practice across all interventions. 

• Professionals to receive continuous, robust training to recognise and act on the signs of abuse. 

• Communities and individuals to speak out, report concerns, and be a part of a culture that refuses to look away. 

Together, we can end the cycle. Together, we can protect our next generations. 

At Standing Together, we will not rest until no child lives in fear. Until every child can grow, thrive, and live free from the shadow of abuse. 

Because their safety is not optional. It is fundamental. 

We Stand Together for children. We Stand Together for justice. We Stand Together for change.