Child Protection Guidance 2021

Version 1.0 September 2021 Contents iv National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021 General principles 128 Criminal injuries compensation 129 Child Protection Process 130 Part 4: Specific Support Needs and Concerns 131 Introduction 132 Poverty 132 When services find it hard to engage 133 Protection of disabled children 134 Parents with learning disabilities 137 Impact of mental health or health problems on children 138 Children and young people experiencing mental health problems 139 Suicide and self-harm affecting children 141 Responding to neglect and emotional abuse 142 Domestic abuse 146 Children and families affected by alcohol and drug use 151 Physical abuse, equal protection, and restraint 153 When obesity is a cause for escalating concerns about risk of harm 156 Child sexual abuse 157 Child sexual exploitation 163 Indecent images and internet-enabled sexual offending by adults 167 Children and young people who have displayed harmful sexual behaviour 168 Child protection in the digital environment/online safety 172 Under-age sexual activity 174 Pre-birth assessment and support 176 Children who are looked after away from home 178 Reunification or ‘return home’ 181 Preventing the repeated removal of children 182 Children and young people who are missing 182 Protecting unaccompanied asylum-seeking and trafficked children 186 Child trafficking and child criminal exploitation 189 Protection in transitional phases 193 Bullying 194 Hate crime 195 Serious harmful behaviour shown by children above and below the age of criminal responsibility 196 Vulnerability to being drawn into terrorism 198 Complex investigations 198 Female genital mutilation 200 Honour-based abuse and forced marriage 203