MORE has to be done to provide support for children in York whose lives are affected by domestic violence and are then left to deal with the consequences on their own.

That was the message delivered by experts on the issue to a meeting of Yor-OK, an influential, council-run young person’s welfare group, yesterday.

Figures presented to the meeting at the Guildhall revealed police took more than 2,000 reports of domestic violence in York during 2008/09 and in 60 per cent of cases attended by officers, a child had been present in the same room or adjacent room when the violence occurred.

The Yor-OK group also heard 50 per cent of children who come to the attention of police in York are living in homes where domestic abuse has been reported.

Joanne Beilby, domestic abuse co-ordinator with the Safer York partnership, said: “Over the years there has been fantastic work done with domestic violence, but we have been very victim-focussed.

“Where are we after we have arrested the perpetrator? The children don’t even get spoken to.”

She said when children are unable to understand the situation and talk about it, it can lead to problems in later life such as teen pregnancy and eating disorders.

“Young boys can become criminals trying to find respect on the street in a negative way,” she said.

She praised the work of the recently established Independent Children’s Advocacy Service (IDAS), set up to provide individual support to children lived witnessed domestic abuse, but said the group’s work could be threatened when council funding runs out in three years’ time.

While unable to commit to extra funding or extending services, the Yor-OK board, which consists of representatives of local schools and colleges, the police, council members, the NHS and the University of York, did agree to support the aims of the Safer York Partnership, in pooling resources to help affected children.

Coun Carol Runciman, a member of the Yor-OK board, said the most important thing about the meeting was the “joined-up thinking”. She said: “ We need to make sure the police and hospital services and women’s refuge all link up to share information and find the children in these situations to give them the help they need.”