Through the Cross Government Action Plan on Sexual Violence, theGovernment has outlined plans to improve education in schools and topublish guidance on the model of care for sexually abused children.
The plan has three objectives: to improve support and health services tovictims; to improve the criminal justice response; and to maximiseprevention.
The main area of focus in the report is prevention. During 2007 and 2008a number of measures will be introduced to raise awareness. Sex andrelationships education will be taught in all secondary schools, whichwill include modules on healthy relationships, and 3m is to bespent on training teachers and community nurses in personal, social andhealth education.
The Government's guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children is tobe implemented and specific guidance on safeguarding children involvedin prostitution, sexual exploitation and those who have been traffickedwill be updated.
In terms of support, the plan includes a grant of 1.25m for thevoluntary sector and 1.1m to develop a network of sexual assaultreferral centres.
Specialist child abuse investigators are to be trained and guidance willbe given to local areas to set up a child witness support scheme to helpimprove the criminal justice response. The Government also plans todevelop a cross-government framework on young people who sexuallyabuse.
The NSPCC welcomed the plans. Diana Sutton, head of policy and publicaffairs at the charity, said: "The NSPCC wants to see a comprehensiveand sustainable programme of measures to help children speak out aboutabuse and to provide therapeutic services."
The Government is also consulting on plans to strengthen the law onchild sex abuse images in its Consultation on Possession ofNon-Photographic Visual Depictions of Child Sexual Abuse.
It looks at introducing a new offence to cover computer-generatedimages, animation, cartoons and drawings depicting the sexual abuse ofchildren. At the moment, the police cannot prosecute, confiscate orremove these types of images from circulation. The new offence wouldcarry a penalty of up to three years in prison and an unlimitedfine.
The consultation says: "A new offence would equip the criminal law todeal with these images and address concerns expressed by police andchildren's charities."
Home Secretary John Reid added: "It's critical the law stays one stepahead and nowhere is this more important than in protecting childrenfrom harm."
The consultation on sexual abuse images ends on 22 June.
- www.homeoffice.gov.uk.
