Children are still being failed when it comes to protecting them from sexual abuse

The views and experiences shared in the report earlier this year from the Independent inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse bring these words into sharp focus.

For the young victims and survivors of sexual abuse the inquiry spoke to, there isn’t just a need to address non-recent failings, but failings that are continuing today. 

Engagement with children and young people revealed the present-day experiences of young victims and survivors between the ages of 11 and 21 as well as the views of 77 specialist child sexual abuse support workers. 

They voice a wide range of concerns including access to support, handling of cases by statutory services, education not reflecting current challenges and a need for social media platforms to take responsibility.

The overwhelming message heard by the inquiry was that society is reluctant to talk about child sexual abuse. We heard shame and guilt are too frequently ingrained from a young age and that society does not understand the issue. Young victims and survivors alongside support organisations told us that myths like ‘stranger danger’ make people afraid or cautious of ‘strangers’, when in fact sexual abusers are usually known to their victims.

“Perps are portrayed as evil, dirty villains and in reality they look like everyone else”

We also heard that poor handling of disclosure of sexual abuse in the media may deter a child or young person reporting or disclosing, with victims and survivors raising concerns about unhelpful language used by the media such as ‘snowflake’ to describe people who come forward. Many told us that education is the key to changing the conversation and the impacts should not be diluted simply to spare discomfort amongst the general public.

“If they want to make a change, they have to tell it like it is, that’s the only way people will start taking notice of it.”

For those young victims and survivors who have been able to disclose, some spoke of feeling accepted and supported, which helped them to manage their trauma more effectively. For the majority however, this was not the case. When making a report to the police, many young victims and survivors told us about being accused of lying, the interview process being traumatic, and police failing to manage their privacy and confidentiality concerns correctly.

We also heard how important it was for young victims and survivors to make their own choice about being kept well informed throughout the process and voicing what they would like to happen following disclosure. Many young victims and survivors told us that “the system” takes over after a report is made which can make a young person feel disempowered and deter them from sharing information again.

Young victims and survivors also spoke of poor handling of disclosure in schools; we heard of an incident where a teacher had stopped a pupil midway through a disclosure, saying, “Don’t tell me because I will have to repeat this”.

One young victim and survivor reported an experience of peer-on-peer abuse to the headteacher, who shared the information with the perpetrator’s parents before a police report had been made. As well as having serious consequences for the investigation, we also heard that the perpetrator continued to attend the same classes as the young victim and survivor, which was “very traumatic”. The young victim and survivor found herself having to explain to the school why this was inappropriate.

“At that time, I needed adults in my life to behave like adults, instead of me having to educate them in order for them to understand, as I was going through enough already.”

Perhaps one of the most pressing and evolving risks highlighted by those who contributed to the report was the internet and social media. Young victims and survivors told us that they were frustrated because celebrities and social media influencers share provocative images and that young people copy these unhealthy behaviours, judging their self-worth in terms of ‘likes’ and followers. Support service organisations also raised concerns that few young people understand the legal implications of sending and sharing explicit photographs.

“The abuse has not ended and the impact continues because everyone at school has seen it. Also, the news has spread across the community. It brings new PTSD and other psychological issues”

Many young victims and survivors told us that adults are often quite naive about online content, and do not fully understand the risks of the sites young people use. We also heard that parental controls could be easily overcome by many young people, with many comparing how easy it is for children to access online sites with how difficult it can be for an adult to get into their own banking app. The clear message was that social media companies, who generate a significant income, are responsible for keeping the people who use their apps safe.

“The problems that the children have with the internet are those created by adults, so it is adults’ responsibility to make it safe rather than telling children not to go online”

Through this engagement project and our wider work hearing from young victims and survivors, it is clear that positive steps have been made to better support and protect children from sexual abuse. However, there is still a long way to go and as their experiences demonstrate, it’s vital that everyone - statutory services, parents, the public - acknowledge the part they must play.

Emma Lewis is a member of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse’s Victims and Survivors Consultative Panel.