To call social services

[LittleMermaidRose]

Myself and DP don't know what to do (if anything)
A neighbour across the street from us has been shouting at her little girl constantly. Not even shouting, she screams at her. We never hear the child, just the mother. It seems to be her way of communicating with her.

We can't hear them when they're in their house, only their garden. What with the hot weather, they've been out a lot. On Saturday, we actually counted the mother screaming 45 times in an hour. But it's constant throughout the day.

We've never heard any threats towards the little girl or any hitting but it does make me wonder what's going on behind closed doors. How much more screaming goes on indoors?

We're worried it's emotional abuse. It really is constant shouting and screaming, when they're outdoors at least.

We don't know them personally so don't know their situation, but we feel worried for the child. We've been thinking of calling social services for advice but is it uncalled for?

I don't want to split up a family/do nothing if a child is being harmed. What's the best thing to do?

Please ring social services

Could she be shouting from the opposite end of the gatden/inside the house so that the child hears her?

It's not a big garden from what we can see. About 5m square.

Ring Social Services

I agree withNaughty if nothing’s going on they are unlikely to remove the child. But if this child is being abused in some way I don’t think it’s right to turn a blind eye.
It may be that SS are already aware of issues with this family.
Far too many cases of child abuse end in tragedy despite there being signs

Social services won't go in all guns blazing. They will do an assessment to find out what is going on, contact the child's school etc. They won't split up a family without helping first.

Ring social services always if you have concerns. Your information maybe the last piece of the puzzle before they can act or alternatively they may use their training to decide it does not need investigating.

Ring social services.

I have a neighbour that's exactly the same. I heard a man yell "Shut up, shut the fuck up!" to a crying young child the other day. I want to call social services but I don't know which house it is

What does she shout?

Perhaps put a note through the door first and explain that your worried about the screaming and explain it's borderline emotional abuse. Maybe a few contact numbers to reach out to if she's struggling with parenting at the moment. Give her a chance to change her ways that may be all she needs as a bit of a shock or become more aware of it. If it continues then contact ss.

Poor little thing. What is she saying when she’s screaming?

Alot would depend on what she was shouting. Some people are just really loud and shouting is just their default way of communication. Alot of my DH family are like this,, lovely but bloody loud. Was what she was shouting abusive?

If she's across the street are you close enough to hear if she was speaking quietly in between the shouts?

I raise my voice when DD ignores me/is naughty but certainly not 45 times an hour! That is excessive.

This happened to me. I would have been so happy if someone had called social services. I'm 60 now, but will never forget the constant yelling and screaming. Please call.

What kind of shouting? Definitely aggressive/abusive and not “Johnny, come for your tea” type?

What is she shouting at the child?

And how old is the child?

Also if she was shouting at her indoors surely you would hear her in this hot weather as she would most likely have her windows open, You said she wasnt threatening so what is she saying??

The content is very important in this
Volume does not equal abuse- what is being said in the shouting ?

I agree we need to know what she's screaming!

If you know the school or the nursery the little girl goes to I would contact them. Reason being social services are too underfunded to deal with anything but emergencies. A school or nursery would be able to put things together with their own observations about the family. I highly doubt social services would do much about this situation. They might do a home visit, and they would probably refer it back to the school or health visitor unless something else was going on.

I’m not sure volume on its own is an issue.

You’d need to explain more about the tone and content of the shouting, before it came anywhere near the thresholds of social services, as a report on its own.

Again, depends on what she is screaming.

"Stop that, right now, I have told you that is NAUGHTY!"

"You little bastard shit! I wish I'd never had you!"

Closer to...?

Depends what she is shouting. I have a cousin whose default voice setting is shouting. She was loud and shouty to her DC but she was never abusive.

Phone your local SS helpdesk, and let them make the decision if it is abuse or not.

Poor little girl