Its findings are stark: while it has been known for some time that most child sexual abuse happens within the family, the scale of it is staggering. That there were 50,000 victims of child sexual abuse known to the statutory agencies in two years is concerning enough, but the report estimates that, over the same two-year period, there were between 400,000 and 450,000 victims of child sexual abuse in England. This means that the problem has been massively underreported. It also indicates that only one in eight victims of child sexual abuse have come to the attention of the statutory authorities. The report also highlighted that abuse in and around the family is likely to account for around two-thirds of all such cases. It found that around 75 per cent of victims are female. In a quarter of all cases, the perpetrator was aged under 18.
It is no surprise that abuse by a family member, or someone connected with the family, is a barrier to victims accessing help. It is difficult for a victim subjected to child sexual abuse by a close family member, as they may well retain a loyalty to the perpetrator. It is important to remember that if a church hears a disclosure of child sexual abuse by a family member, the perpetrator may well be part of the church community too.
The report recommends that more should be done to enable children who are being sexually abused to seek help. Encouraging children to come forward means giving them feelings of safety, security and privacy, as well as enabling them to trust that any intervention by the authorities will make a positive difference. Churches can provide that safe, nurturing environment where children can be open and can share their experiences. Workers in churches, especially children’s workers, need to be trained and supported to understand the signs and symptoms of sexual abuse, and know how to respond appropriately should a child wish to disclose abuse. The report from the Children’s Commissioner should act as a wake-up call to us all, emphasising that the sexual abuse of children can, and all too often does, take place within families.
