1. Preventing Child Sexual Abuse
Donald Findlater
April 2018

2. - Campaign - Confidential helpline

3. Preventing Child Sexual Abuse by -known offenders -unknown offenders -those at risk of offending

5. What do you want them to do? What do they need to know?

7. What do you want them to do? What do they need to know?

8. Things we thought we knew….
Risk to children is small
Abused children quickly tell
Sex offenders are:-
male
adult
strangers

9. Things we thought we knew….cont’d
Fathers
Don’t want to/can’t stop
We catch the majority
Internet offenders – just the same as contact offenders?

10. So, some things to consider….
Estimated 400, ,000 children sexually abused in England 2013/14
Only 1 in 8 known to Police or Children’s Services
60% + of offences take place in “Family Environment”
Over 30% abusers are other young people
(Office for Children’s Commissioner, 2015)
Trainer: take this slide slowly, parents need a moment for the information to sink in …. may use examples of a class of 30 children, including teacher and assistant – how many would be victims (rhetorical question)
We hear so often about protecting a child from strangers ...
“don’t talk to strangers .... “
“don’t take sweets from strangers ....”
But as can be seen 80% of children know their abuser – i.e. it wasn’t a stranger.
Trainer: Ask if audience can think of reasons as to why abuse is mostly not reported – repeat what is offered (if appropriate!) or question/clarify if unsure. Prompt an array of ideas and ensure all hear you repeat most relevant ones (especially those that relate to next slide!) 10

14. How does it happen? The process….and the people
Recap what has been covered so far …
Now move on to how abusers do what they do – the processes they go through and how they rationalise their behaviour to themselves. 14

15. Four pre-conditions to child sexual abuse Adapted from: D Finkelhor Child Sexual Abuse: New Theory & Research 1984
Sex with
a child
Thoughts
MOTIVATION
‘Wanting to’
INTERNAL
INHIBITORS
‘Conscience’
EXTERNAL
INHIBITORS
‘Others’
(Creating
Opportunity)
OVERCOME
VICTIM
RESISTANCE
‘Doing it and getting
away with it’

16. Prevention also needs to think about the crime……
Recap what has been covered so far …
Now move on to how abusers do what they do – the processes they go through and how they rationalise their behaviour to themselves. 16

17. Eck’s “Crime Triangle” (basic chemistry of crime)
Offender
Crime
Problem
Victim
Place

18. Eck’s “Crime Triangle”
Offender
Handlers
Crime
Problem
Place Managers
Guardians
Victim
Place

19. Where does sexual abuse occur?
Domestic settings
Highest prevalence (60-80%?)
Organisational settings
Approx 5% of all known incidents
Many/most involve young person as alleged perpetrator
Schools the most common setting; sexual bullying the most common context
Public settings
Low prevalence, but in rare cases especially dangerous (e.g. abduction/homicide)
‘Virtual’ settings
Production, distribution & possession of sexual images of children; online ‘grooming’; online sexual harassment/bullying.

20. A Comprehensive Framework for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse

21. Prevention Targets Offenders (Potential) Victims (Children) Families/
Primary prevention
(Before harm)
Secondary prevention
Tertiary prevention
(After abuse)
Offenders
(Potential)
Victims
(Children)
Families/
Communities
Situations

22. Treatment programmes for convicted sex offenders
Where on the framework?
Treatment programmes for convicted sex offenders
All types of people could be abusers ….
They CAN be people we know … care about etc.
Re Cultures – speaking to a Chinese man he said no child abuse in China, “Chinese men don’t have these thoughts” .. When challenged he said it was only in England – “English disease!”… challenged again that it happens in all communities but not reported – he said no AND there aren’t any homosexuals in China either – they are all put in prison and given hard labour! 23 23

23. Prevention Targets Offenders (Potential) Victims (Children) Families/
Primary prevention
Secondary prevention
Tertiary prevention
Offenders
(Potential)
Victims
(Children)
Families/
Communities
Situations

24. Prevention Targets Offenders (Potential) Victims (Children) Families/
Primary prevention
Secondary prevention
Tertiary prevention
Offenders
(Potential)
-Sex offender treatment
-Prison
-Sex offender registration etc
-Circles of Support and Accountability
Victims
(Children)
Families/
Communities
Situations

25. Where on the framework?
Awareness-raising prevention education programmes for all parents and carers
All types of people could be abusers ….
They CAN be people we know … care about etc.
Re Cultures – speaking to a Chinese man he said no child abuse in China, “Chinese men don’t have these thoughts” .. When challenged he said it was only in England – “English disease!”… challenged again that it happens in all communities but not reported – he said no AND there aren’t any homosexuals in China either – they are all put in prison and given hard labour! 26 26

26. Prevention Targets Offenders (Potential) Victims (Children) Families/
Primary prevention
Secondary prevention
Tertiary prevention
Offenders
(Potential)
Victims
(Children)
Families/
Communities
Situations

27. Prevention Targets Offenders (Potential) Victims (Children) Families/
Primary prevention
Secondary prevention
Tertiary prevention
Offenders
(Potential)
Victims
(Children)
Families/
Communities
Parents
Protect
Situations

29. Where on the framework?
Campaign to stop and prevent the viewing of sexual images of children online
All types of people could be abusers ….
They CAN be people we know … care about etc.
Re Cultures – speaking to a Chinese man he said no child abuse in China, “Chinese men don’t have these thoughts” .. When challenged he said it was only in England – “English disease!”… challenged again that it happens in all communities but not reported – he said no AND there aren’t any homosexuals in China either – they are all put in prison and given hard labour! 30 30

30. Prevention Targets Offenders (Potential) Victims (Children) Families/
Primary prevention
Secondary prevention
Tertiary prevention
Offenders
(Potential)
Victims
(Children)
Families/
Communities
Situations

31. Posters

32. Prevention Targets Offenders (Potential) Victims (Children) Families/
Primary prevention
Secondary prevention
Tertiary prevention
Offenders
(Potential)
IIOC Deterrence Campaign
IIOC Deterrence campaign
Victims
(Children)
Families/
Communities
Situations

33. Where on the framework?
Primary school programme of personal safety and sex education for all 10 year olds
All types of people could be abusers ….
They CAN be people we know … care about etc.
Re Cultures – speaking to a Chinese man he said no child abuse in China, “Chinese men don’t have these thoughts” .. When challenged he said it was only in England – “English disease!”… challenged again that it happens in all communities but not reported – he said no AND there aren’t any homosexuals in China either – they are all put in prison and given hard labour! 34 34

34. Prevention Targets Offenders (Potential) Victims (Children) Families/
Primary prevention
Secondary prevention
Tertiary prevention
Offenders
(Potential)
Victims
(Children)
Families/
Communities
Situations

36. Prevention Targets Offenders Hedgehogs (Potential) Victims (Children)
Primary prevention
Secondary prevention
Tertiary prevention
Offenders
(Potential)
Hedgehogs
Victims
(Children)
Families/
Communities
Situations

38. Prevention Targets Offenders (Potential) Victims (Children) Families/
Primary prevention
Secondary prevention
Tertiary prevention
Offenders
(Potential)
Victims
(Children)
“Talk PANTS”
Families/
Communities
Situations

39. (Some) Lucy Faithfull Foundation Prevention Activities
Primary
prevention
Secondary
Prevention
Tertiary
Abusers or potential abusers
Hedgehogs
Stop it Now! Helpline
Stop! Scotland Prison Project
Get-Help website
Inform YP
Sex Offender Treatment
Circles of Support and Accountability
Inform + / Inform YP
Securus Monitoring
Children and Young People
Internet Safety Classes
Internet Safety classes for at risk groups
Therapeutic work (Family Courts/Social Services)
Communities/ Families
Parents Protect
Internet Safety Seminars (Prim’y)
Stop it Now! Materials
BAMER (Somali, Pakistani, Jewish communities)
Parents Protect +
Internet Safety seminars (Secondary)
Inform
Family Court Assessment/Intervention
Protective Parenting
>Parents Protect (Home Office) Project
>Parents Protect Plus
>Inform+
>Inform
>Circles of Support & Accountability
>Securus Monitoring
>Stop it Now! Helpline
>Safer Recruitment Training

40. Child sexual abuse – preventable, not inevitable.

41. Thank you!