The NSPCC has announced that its Childline service has reported a five per cent rise in counselling sessions related to emotional abuse.

Between April 2023 to March 2024, Childline delivered 2,879 sessions centred around this concern.

In half of these cases, verbal abuse and being shouted at were identified as the primary concerns, while criticism, humiliation, and name-calling emerged as secondary concerns.

These findings are being released on June 7, which marks the NSPCC's annual Childhood Day. The charity is urging communities to assist in keeping children safe.

Retail giant, Lidl GB, will sponsor the event for its third consecutive year, motivating customers and staff to join in nationwide activities to help fundraise.

Collection points and opportunities for involvement will pop up across the country, including Bristol on June 1 and Plymouth on June 8.

Donated funds will contribute towards essential NSPCC services, such as Childline, which provides support to at-risk children. As per last year's Child in Need assessments, emotional abuse affected 99,630 children, the most common form of abuse and neglect cited.

The NSPCC emphasises the potential for emotional abuse, untreated and over time, to have prolonged effects on the child's social, emotional, and physical health. This underlines the critical need for services like Childline, readily available for children seeking help.

Sir Peter Wanless, NSPCC chief executive, said: "Half a million children a year suffer abuse in the UK. That means seven children in a classroom experience abuse before they turn 18. This can’t go on and it doesn’t have to.

"It’s devastating to hear that contacts to Childline on emotional abuse are on the increase. We must remember that these are not children who are being overly sensitive or dislike being disciplined, they are being psychologically abused by the people who are there to protect them.

"For the past 140 years, the NSPCC has been working tirelessly to prevent abuse, change the law and support children at risk, but the charity knows that strong communities are at the heart of keeping children safe.

"That is why the charity is encouraging everyone to play their part and support Childhood Day. £4 raised could help a Childline counsellor answer a call to a child in need of help."