A DRIVE to highlight - and tackle - the scourge of domestic abuse is about to focus on the problems experienced by children.

As the long summer holidays begin the Hambleton Community Safety Partnership is turning its attention to young people who are affected by abuse in many different ways.

The move is the latest phase of the year-long Don't Suffer in Silence campaign to increase the profile given to one of the district's hidden crimes.

Over the last six months the campaign has zeroed in on Valentine's Day, Mother's Day and Father's Day to push home its message.

And it has been so successful that neighbouring Richmondshire Community Safety Partnership has now joined forces with Hambleton.

Over the next few weeks powerful posters featuring a little girl covered in paint and bearing the words "For this little girl... the fun stops here" will be appearing in both districts.

National statistics show that at least 750,000 children a year witness domestic violence across the UK - in 90 per cent of all domestic violence incidents children will be in the same or neighbouring room.

"Children can be affected by domestic violence in lots of different ways, and one thing that's certain is that it does have an impact on them," said Catherine McNaughton, domestic violence co-ordinator for both partnerships.

"The effects tend to vary according to how old they are, the level of violence, the length of time the violence has been happening and how much support they have had from others around them."

She said that although some people believe that children don't actually know what is happening because they haven't seen the violence, most children are very aware of what is going on.

"They often feel responsible and may need to be reassured that it's not their fault.

"Some youngsters are afraid to talk for fear of causing further worry and upset.

"It's often a huge relief to children to have this silence broken and to be able to share their thoughts and feelings instead of bottling them up,"she said.

Last year in Hambleton there were 355 reported incidents of domestic abuse - 120 more than in 2002. Of those 160 were repeat attacks.