Child abuse inquiry warns of 'lack of knowledge' on how best to support victims

An IICSA report summarising the existing evidence base for the impacts of CSA found that, despite considerable amounts of research on the issue, there remains a lack of knowledge in some key areas.

The report, which coincides with a report published by Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse, which contains similar findings, said there is a lack of knowledge about how best to support resilience and recovery among victims by minimising risk factors and maximising protective factors.

It also identified gaps in knowledge on the impact of CSA on younger people as well as on black and minority ethnic (BME), and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) and disabled people.

The impacts of CSA on siblings, partners and children of victims and survivors was also highlighted as an area for more research.

"In spite of the extent of the available evidence on this issue, this review has nonetheless identified a wide range of gaps in knowledge about the impacts of CSA, the way in which those impacts differ for various groups of victims and survivors, and the risk and protective factors which can impede or promote resilience and recovery," the report states.

A separate report published by the government-backed Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse, which was launched in January with the aim of gathering and sharing high-quality evidence of successful schemes in preventing child sexual exploitation and abuse, has also highlighted "significant gaps in knowledge" about child sexual abuse and exploitation.

The report found that despite improving understanding of the scale and nature of child sexual abuse being essential to tackling the problem effectively, the recording of key information, including about victims and perpetrators, is often incomplete or inconsistent.

The report concludes that some 15 per cent of girls and five per cent of boys experience some form of sexual abuse, but added that it is impossible to tell whether child sexual abuse is increasing or decreasing, as it is not possible to determine whether more is taking place or previously "hidden" abuse is now being reported.

The study also found that profiles of victims and perpetrators are not consistently recorded, the patterns and contexts of abuse are not necessarily established and that data on perpetrators does not identify if they were single, multiple or serial offenders.
 
The centre, which is run by children's charity Barnardo's, is calling on the government to commission the Office for National Statistics to conduct a regular, comprehensive prevalence study to build a better picture across England and Wales so more can be done to prevent and tackle child sexual abuse and exploitation.

Cassandra Harrison, director of the centre, said: "Although understanding of child sexual abuse has improved over the years, this study shows that there is not yet a full enough picture; there are significant gaps in knowledge about victims and perpetrators, as well as the nature of the abuse itself.
 
"To improve our understanding and get better at fighting child sexual abuse and exploitation we need better and comparative data so we can see what is going on and monitor changes over time.
 
"Ultimately this is about protecting children more effectively."

Home Secretary Amber Rudd, said: "No child should ever have to suffer the horrors of sexual abuse or exploitation.

"This government has done more than any other to tackle these terrible crimes. We have increased support for victims, invested in training and technology to improve law enforcement's response to abuse both on and offline, and brought in a tougher inspection regime to ensure all frontline professions are meeting their child protection duties.

"I launched the centre of expertise to identify, generate and share evidence of what works to tackle these offences. We will continue to improve our ability to protect children and I am determined to bring those that would try to steal their childhood to justice."

Last month, the national centre of expertise launched a fund to give organisations the opportunity to prove the effectiveness of the work they do.