The impact of domestic violence on children and young people is being highlighted in a special Letter to Santa this Christmas.

Developed by the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) and CHILDREN 1ST, the letter raises awareness of effects domestic violence can have on the whole family. Inspired by CHILDREN 1ST service users who shared their experiences of Christmas growing up in homes where domestic violence was present, the letter, written by “Ben” says: “Dear Santa, all I want for Christmas is for the fighting to stop.”

Chief Inspector Graham Goulden, who heads up the Anti-Violence Campaign on behalf of the VRU, said:

"Christmas is a peak period for domestic abuse incidents. Children in homes where these incidents happen often witness the abuse and are therefore victims, too. The impact of that can stay with them for life, potentially affecting their relationship with their own children through things like depression, low self worth and a range of other issues. That’s why the work of CHILDREN 1ST is so important in supporting children and young people who have been victims of domestic abuse."

The campaign encourages anyone concerned about a child experiencing violence in the home this Christmas to contact ParentLine Scotland on 0800 028 2233 or at parentlinescotland@children1st.org.uk.

Alison Todd, Director of Policy and Practice Development at CHILDREN 1ST, said:

"Christmas should be a time of year every child looks forward to. But when there is violence in the home, it is often a time that children fear and people often forget that domestic abuse has such a negative impact on children. At CHILDREN 1ST, we support children to overcome their traumatic experiences, so they can start to look forward to a brighter future. The first step to getting that support requires someone to ask for help. It is everyone’s responsibility to protect Scotland’s children, so please get in touch with ParentLine if you are concerned about a child."

ParentLine Scotland will be open from Christmas Eve right through to 1 January 2012 from 10am - 1pm daily. Calls are free and confidential 0800 028 2233. Emails can be sent to parentlinescotland@children1st.org.uk at any time.

You can also make a difference by donating to CHILDREN 1ST, texting CHLDOO followed by an amount to 70070 (eg CHLDOO £3)

View the campaign
Ben's Story
Other children and young people's experience of violence
Find out more - and how you can help