The NSPCC and Parents

The NSPCC - the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children - is an organisation that has been in existence for around one hundred and twenty years.The fundamental goal of the NSPCC is to help reduce - and eventually stamp out - cruelty to children in all its many forms.

Cruelty to Children

There are many people who would constitute cruelty to children as being a physical beating that many leave visual bruises and scars but this is simply not the case. Cruelty to children - and adults - can take on many different forms and include some of the following :

• Bullying
• Psychological abuse
• The bringing about of mental anguish
• Malnourishment
• Abandonment
• Child Abuse
• The exploitation of minors

The list is not an exhaustive one but aims to cover the most common aspects of what can constitute cruelty to children.

Indeed in some instances the person or persons responsible for the cruelty to these children may not even be aware of the fact that they are causing it. It may simply be that their circumstances are such that they cannot provide their child (or children) with a standard of living that the law says is befitting of a child.

What Does the NSPCC do?

The first thing to note about the NSPCC is that it is a charity organisation and is funded entirely on donations from members of the public and donations from other quarters. The NSPCC is not in any way affiliated to any government body and receives no funding from the government - something which is a bone of contention with many.

The NSPCC's primary rule is to raise awareness to the instances of child cruelty brought to their attention and also to help bring about changes in the law relating to the care and protection of our children.

The NSPCC operate a public policy and spend a great deal of time lobbying members of parliament in order to bring about change in laws relating to how children are cared for and protected by the law in the United Kingdom.

In addition the organisation also provides help to thousands of families across the United Kingdom every year. They operate telephone lines which allow the victims of abuse to speak to someone in confidence about the nature of their problem and also offer victim support as well as help with matters relating to domestic violence.

What Can You Do to Help the NSPCC?

As the NSPCC is a charitable institution it relies for the most part on donations from members of the public, charitable gifts and donations from companies up and down the country. You can donate money directly from your salary at source if you wish or can embark on one of the many events that are organised every year in order to raise much needed funds.

There are now several of the social networking sites on the Internet which allow for donations to be made to the NSPCC through their websites as well as auction sites who can donate a percentage of your sale price to them as a donation that will not be taxed.

If you have an idea for a fundraising event you should contact your local NSPCC office or visit their website at www.nspcc.org.uk for more information on how to go about fundraising and how you can help the NSPCC with practical help such as giving up some of your free time .

You should be aware however that if you wish to avail of your time in order to help with schemes run by the NSPCC that you should first of all undertake a CRB check (Criminal Records Bureau) which is a legal declaration used to help screen individuals who wish to work with children, the elderly or others considered to be vulnerable.