Help!! I think my neighbours children are in danger

[Jjhx]

I need some advice and wasn’t sure where else to ask! A neighbour close to me has two young twin girls maybe aged 6 or 7, most nights they scream at the top of their voices, like a really terrifying scream, you know when a scream isn’t normal. I’ve anonymously reported it to the police before and not much happened. It has happening right now at 3.40am, it is so loud it wakes me up and I can hear it with my windows closed!! What more can I do, please help!!!

Unsafe and stupid advice, don’t directly knock the door
If you have safety concerns call police

If you know what school they go to you could ring and explain your concerns. The teachers would then talk to the children.

I would still report to police/social but are you sure there aren't any send issues. My next door neighbours child does this and it's due to health issues.

How did you send the video proof?

Did they give you an email address or a phone number to send it to?

If so, I don't think it's fair to say when you called the police that 'not much happened'.

It's unusual for them to facilitate the sending of this to them, rather than asking you to show them your phone when they dealt with the enquiry.

So it seems they took it seriously at the time. Therefore you should contact them again.

Do you know the kids? Are they neurodiverse with serious behavioural issues?

A few years ago, the case of a child being constrained by a leash made headline news in Sydney. It was reported by a neighbour. The police came to the house and found a severe intellectual child, who would run away if the mom, a migrant without any support, was not with him. The mother needed to go grocery shopping, didn't have family or friends to look after him, and the only way to prevent her son from opening the door and running away was to constraint him.

The police took no further action and referred them to social services to give mom and child the help needed without mom having to take such a drastic measures to protect her child.

There was a brief article after the headlines explaining the situation.

It may not be your neighbour's children situation but if the police has already been to their house and left soon after without pressing charges, may be because they are aware of problems you are not.

This, absolutely.

One more thing on this issue.

High functioning autism in small children can be seen as neurotypical behaviour by casual observers. The reality at home is much more dramatic, with meltdowns and a pattern of interrupted sleep patterns, followed by a meltdown.

Unless you truly know the family and the children, I'd be careful to call the police again.

My child used to give out bloodcurdling screams for hours every single night between 1am - 3am. It was night terrors, started at about 1 year of age and they grew out of them by the age of 9 😳

And that's how children get continually abused. Do not leave well alone, report and report and report.

Ring social services, tell them.u have video evidence

She already has

Another thing you can do OP is speak to your other neighbours on the street. Tell them you are very concerned, ask if they know anything else about the family which may be helpful when you speak with SS or police, or may ease your concerns. If there's more to this (or more people have concerns) you should ALL keep reporting. And perhaps next time there are screams several of you can go and check - so you are not alone confronting her.

I have been in a similar situation and called the police.
Fortunately it wasn't anything serious, and I felt like an idiot, however the police were very reassuring that I did the right thing as my concern was genuine.

Be sensible and reasonable but always be confident to do the right thing x

OP, if in doubt, I’d report.

And I say this as someone terrified of a neighbour calling social services because of my 2yo’s screeches throughout the day while going through a really tough tantrum phase. 😞

@MummaMummaMumma , I’d forgotten I’d replied to you. My DD sounds just like this atm.

Well done op

If all is ok then you were doing the right thing and they will understand

Record
Report
Over and over!!!!

Sometimes my DD SCREAMS bloody murder when she doesn’t want to go to bed, things like ‘don’t touch me get away from me help help…’ when all we have done is lift her upstairs to try and calm her down. Every single time it happens I say to my husband omg what must the neighbours think. It’s really, really difficult because you do not know what goes on behind closed doors. Every situation is different and you need to make a judgement call but the fact you are saying these aren’t the type of people you would want to approach worries me. They will never know you called the police and imagine you could stop something terrible from happening. Actually I’ve just realised the time this was posted… what did you do??

If the police don’t seem to be doing anything there may be a reason. Like the child has autism/ADHD and reacts like this. You would think the neighbour would tell you this though. I would contact social services now.

My daughter has started doing a high pitched scream at night time (sometimes during the day too( like she’s being murdered and then it can get to one like she’s possessed by the exorcist. I am so glad I don’t have any neighbours attached but if I did I would mention to them.

For those saying report. Every. Single. Time.

How do you know whether to do so - I mean, yes, report. But Every. Single. Time? How do you know whether or not the police/Social Services etc have investigated and all is good or whether they're just ignoring neglect/abuse/worse?

Presumably the police don't report back on their findings. Or do they? Or only when it gets to the stage where you're regarded as a vexatious caller?

The fact the op says she reported anonymously and managed to provide video proof that makes me think…. Bollox the Op has reported this (or bollox this is real)

Thankfully
not a chance @nosleepforme has actually had safeguarding training

I’m finding it comical that you’ve said there’s “no chance” meaning it’s not even 1% plausible… when I have.

But you haven’t
Because what you’re spouting is drivel
You haven’t 🤷‍♀️

To be fair, all anyone can go by is your own words.

And I think King Charles riding through London on a llama whilst wearing a golden thong and balancing a pineapple on his head, would be a tad more plausible.

But you know, it's up to you what you choose to post.

Why are you posting on mumsnet if you think a child is at risk of immediate harm? The mind boggles. Hopefully you called the police and spoke to your local authority child social services.