Child sexual abuse (CSA) thrives in silence. Bringing together diverse voices and perspectives can help challenge that silence, deepen understanding and strengthen our collective response.

Research in Practice will be releasing a series of blogs to help professionals across the safeguarding system strengthen their response to CSA.

By sharing learning, challenging barriers and highlighting action, the series aims to spark reflection, conversation, and more effective practice. 

Why is this needed and what are some of the issues?

CSA often remains hidden due to the complex interplay of tactics and methods used by those who cause sexual harm, the barriers children face in disclosing abuse, societal stigma, and systemic factors. Research shows that far more children experience sexual abuse than services identify. The 2024 Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel national review, I wanted them all to notice, found a ‘systemic failure across all agencies to recognise and respond’, when children are at risk of, or are already, experiencing sexual abuse within their family environment. 

Children and young people face significant barriers to 'disclosure' and may not tell us about abuse directly. They may feel ashamed, fear that they will not be believed, feel guilt and blame themselves for the abuse, not be in a position to believe they are being/have been abused, worry about the consequences of telling, and/or face threats and manipulation from the person abusing them. Instead, they may communicate their experiences in difference ways, which is why practice is moving beyond a narrow focus of 'disclosure'. It is often the actions of a trusted adult, noticing concerns, remaining professionally curious, and creating space for safe conversations, that enable children to share what is happening to them.

We cannot place the burden on children to disclose before we respond. Instead, growing national evidence and practice guidance highlight the need for professionals to recognise, explore and act on concerns proactively, helping children receive protection and support at the earliest opportunity. Resources like the Signs and Indicators template, published by the Centre for expertise on CSA, can support professionals to gather the signs and indicators of sexual abuse and build a picture of their concerns.

And yet still, conversations with our partnership network alongside broader evidence have highlighted that even when professionals know the indicators of child sexual abuse, they can struggle to identify and respond to it, particularly when abuse occurs within the family environment. Professionals and services are: 

These concerns can mirror the fears experienced by children (See an illustration of this in the NSPCC video, Say Something). When adults hesitate to speak, silence can be reinforced on both sides. Effective safeguarding therefore requires practitioners across all services - not only specialist teams - to develop the confidence, knowledge and skills to recognise and record concerns, piece together information, ask sensitive questions sensitively, and create opportunities for children to communicate about their experiences.

About the Amplifying Voices series

Amplifying Voices on CSA will model open conversations about CSA and share examples of effective and emerging practice. 

While the series is primarily for children’s social care practitioners and supervisors, it will be relevant across the safeguarding system. We will hear from people and organisations to explore examples of good practice in responding to CSA, challenging stigma and highlighting practical ways to strengthen responses.

Themes in the series may include systems and organisational responses; safety planning and work with people who cause harm; direct practice with children, families and wider networks, recognising how intersecting factors such as race, ethnicity, disability, gender, sexuality, faith and socio-economic circumstances can shape experiences of child sexual abuse and access to support; and practitioner wellbeing, supervision and support.

You can read them as they are published but also find them collated on a dedicated webpage, allowing you to easily return to the topics when needed.

It will share insights to support reflection, curiosity and practice development. Each blog will include key messages for practice and reflective questions, such as: