RESOURCES

You are welcome to download and print these posters for free. They have been written with the obstacles which prevent disclosures of child sexual abuse in mind. They have been designed to be clear, simple and bold… and to speak to young people who may be experiencing sexual abuse. The feeling of having to ‘keep secrets’ is a common experience for children who have been abused, as is a fear of being blamed or getting in to some kind of ‘trouble’. Feel free to display these posters anywhere where young people might see them and be prepared to discuss their meaning. We offer training (link to Home) to help you do this, and to respond to any disclosures you may receive.

Victims of child sexual abuse often, if not always, feel a strong sense of personality responsibility over what happened to them. This often prevents them from telling anyone that they’ve been abused. Please display this poster anywhere where a young victim might see it, to let them know that if they disclose to you, they will not be blamed.

Display this poster to communicate to young people that their safety is the biggest priority. Children typically feel responsible, not only for the abuse, but for family reactions as well. Sadly, families do not always respond to abuse disclosures in a supportive way. However, it is still crucial that the abuse is brought to light so that it can be stopped.

When you speak to a child who has been sexually abused, you are up against perhaps years of them being told, by the abuser, that they asked for it or otherwise caused it. Abusers, like any criminal, are afraid of being discovered and so will say whatever they need to, to keep children silent. This poster sends a message that abused children need to hear: that they are not responsible and can therefore disclose to you or a member of staff at your organisation without fear of being blamed.

This paper highlights the missed opportunities for earlier detection of the widescale CSE which was discovered in Oxfordshire between 2004-2012. The focus of the discussion is on police failures, especially in terms of how young people were treated during the investigation. The report also looks at how the law might be changed to clarify the safeguarding duties of relevant professionals.

It is often assumed that human trafficking exclusively or very disproportionately affects women and girls. Whilst current statistical data shows a gender imbalance between vctims, this paper highlights the literature and cultural bias against boys and explores how boys are also recruited into, and victimised by, trafficking circles around the world. The existing efforts to combat human trafficking are also discussed, as well as the legislation underpinning these initiatives.

This short paper addresses the main arguments for and against creating a legal duty to report child abuse. It looks at existing obligations under domestic and international safeguarding law, as well as empirical research on mandatory reporting systems in other countries. It can be seen as a brief version of Siobhan’s dissertation on the government’s consultation on reporting and acting on child abuse and neglect, which concluded in early 2018. You can find the full dissertation, and other campaigning resources related to this ongoing issue on the #MandateNow section of this website.

This report discusses the risks to young people presented by websites and forums which advocate self-harm and suicidal behaviour. It also looks at the prevention tools available to safeguarding professionals, and discusses the concept of ‘education’ in relation to prevention. Future research topics on this subject are highlighted in relation to knowledge gaps in the field.