REPORTS to the PSNI about child cruelty and neglect rose by 22 per cent last year.
The NSPCC said in 2019/20, there were 605 offences reported to police in Northern Ireland, more than three times the total in 2013/14, when there were 184.
During the first three months of the spring lockdown, the NSPCC found that 5,476 child cruelty and neglect offences were recorded across the UK, of which 109 offences were reported in the north.
The charity issued the findings as part of a warning that more children may be at risk of abuse this Christmas.
To raise awareness, a number of buildings around Northern Ireland will turn green to support the charity's `Here for Children Christmas Appeal'.
It has also launched a new TV appeal.
As part of that, the charity is calling on the public to donate £20 to the NSPCC so that services like Childline can continue.
Peter Wanless, CEO of the NSPCC, said the Covid-19 pandemic was the "greatest challenge" the charity has faced in decades.
"This year it is even more essential that children have a place where they can seek help and support," he said.
"Our Childline service will be running every day over the Christmas holidays, but we need the public’s support so we can ensure vulnerable children are heard."
