Child Sexual Abuse: A National Review Insights

Source: The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel “I wanted them all to notice” (November 2024)

“I wanted them all to notice”

The National Review into Child Sexual Abuse within the Family Environment looks at child sexual abuse by family members. It also explores the complexities involved in such situations. It analyses 136 serious incidents and associated reviews. Through this analysis, the review identifies challenges in safeguarding practices. It highlights systemic issues in recognising and responding to abuse. 

Recommendations include: 

– Enhanced training for professionals, 
– Improved communication between agencies and
– Integrating research into policy-making. 

The report reveals systemic issues that are significant and long-standing. These issues occur nationally in the response to child sexual abuse in the family environment. Practitioners frequently fail to identify children who are sexually abused. These children do not get the response needed for their ongoing safety and recovery. Problems with identification are of particular concern for disabled children and those from Black and minoritised communities. 

The report advocates for change to tackle the longstanding systemic issues. It highlights the need for a child-centred system. This system recognises the challenges children face in verbally talking about their abuse. Essential reading for practitioners, leaders, policy makers, and decision makers. We should not rely on verbal disclosures to take action. 

I have attached the review which provides deep analysis and serves as another prompt to consider our approach. 

The next diagram shows what the response should look like:

Essential reading from the Child Safeguarding Review Panel (November 2024). “I wanted them all to notice.” This report focus is protecting children and responding to child sexual abuse within the family environment.