New research highlights the scale of child sexual abuse and the challenge of identification

New research from the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse (CSA Centre) has highlighted the scale of child sexual abuse in England and Wales and the continuing challenge of identifying children who are experiencing abuse.

The CSA Centre's latest Scale and nature of child sexual abuse report estimates that at least one in six children experiences some form of sexual abuse before the age of 18, including around one in five girls and one in ten boys.

It also estimates that at least 500,000 children experience some form of contact sexual abuse each year. The CSA Centre describes this as a conservative estimate which does not capture the full scale of online and other forms of sexual abuse.

The findings highlight a significant gap between the estimated number of children experiencing sexual abuse and those whose abuse is identified by services. One of the challenges is that many children do not verbally disclose what is happening to them. The research indicates that 70% of boys and more than half of girls who experience sexual abuse do not tell anyone about it at the time. This places considerable importance on the knowledge, skills and confidence of the professionals who come into contact with children and families.

Children may communicate their experiences through changes in behaviour, emotional wellbeing or other signs and indicators rather than through a direct disclosure. Professionals across children's services, education, health, policing and other agencies therefore have an important role in recognising concerns, exercising professional curiosity and building a picture of what may be happening in a child's life.

Strengthening professional identification and response

The CSA Centre has developed a range of resources to support professionals to identify and respond to concerns about child sexual abuse, including its Signs and Indicators Template, guidance on communicating with children and its Child Sexual Abuse Response Pathway.

The findings provide an important reminder that safeguarding children from sexual abuse is a shared responsibility across the children's workforce.

Improving identification requires professionals across agencies to understand the scale and nature of child sexual abuse, recognise potential signs and indicators and have the confidence to explore concerns and share information appropriately. The research provides an important evidence base for local safeguarding partnerships and organisations to consider how effectively their workforce is equipped to recognise and respond to child sexual abuse.