A national child safeguarding practice review has investigated the experiences of 193 children who were sexually abused by a family member
The report reveals that safeguarding agencies were not equipped with the skills and support to listen, hear and protect these children from horrific abuse. It recommends the government urgently puts in place a national action plan to protect and support children at risk.
The independent review looked at 136 child safeguarding incidents – the most serious cases of abuse and neglect – and found over 75% of the children sexually abused by a family member were under the age of 12.
The report reveals a system in which children are all too often ignored or disbelieved, do not receive the protection they need and in which the risk posed by adults within the family is frequently misunderstood or minimised. Importantly practitioners from all agencies lack the support, confidence and guidance required to intervene effectively to help and protect children.
Over a third of incidents featured a family member with a known history of sexual offending or who was known to present some risk of sexual harm. This included convicted sex offenders and family members who had been previously prosecuted for sexual abuse, including rape, moving into a home with young children without a strong risk assessment.
In order to combat this, the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel is urging the government to develop a national action plan which should include:
The findings of the review also highlighted the long-term impact of child sexual abuse on victims. In several of the serious incidents reviewed, children had self-harmed, been diagnosed with depression or had begun misusing substances or alcohol. Seven children tragically took their own lives, and ten children were known to have become pregnant as a result of the sexual abuse, with the youngest being just 11-years-old at the time.
As part of the government’s mission to make sure all children have a chance to succeed in life, no matter their background, there must be support for children who have been sexually abused by a family member so they can recover and thrive. The recently announced reforms in the government’s paper ‘Keeping Children Safe, Helping Families Thrive’ are an important step in the right direction, but it is vital that the findings and recommendations from this national review are all taken forward within the government’s reform strategy.
To help victims and survivors, their families, or professionals find support, the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse (CSA Centre) has created a directory containing over 350 child sexual abuse support services in England and Wales. The Support Services Directory is a simple way to find services that can help: https://www.csacentre.org.uk/find-a-support-service.
Panel Chair, Annie Hudson said:
Ian Dean, Director of the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse (commissioned to undertake the review) said: