1. Conducting surveys on violence against children in the UK
Joseph Traynor - Deputy Head Crime Statistics
Office for National Statistics – London UK
October 2018

2. Intergenerational abuse

3. Overview UK & International context
Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW)
Questions design
Ethical and other considerations

4. UK context
An awareness, particularly among the public, driven by high profile scandals
Controversies suggested that institutional responses were neither robust nor proactive.
Increased reporting of historical offences
Lack of knowledge and understanding

5. International context
Global SDG indicator framework adopted by the General Assembly on 6 July 2017.
The UK aims to make full use of crime surveys which are likely to be the main source of data for reporting on at least 3 main indicators:
SDG Proportion of children aged 1-17 years who experienced any physical punishment and/or psychological aggression by caregivers in the past month
SDG Proportion of young women and men aged 18‑29 years who experienced sexual violence by age 18
SDG Proportion of victims of violence in the previous 12 months who reported their victimization to competent authorities or other officially recognized conflict resolution mechanisms

6. Crime Survey for England and Wales
Crime Survey is a large nationally representative sample survey of 38,500 respondents
One adult aged over 16 selected per household, and one child aged between 10 and 15.
Interviews take place in people’s own homes with the fieldwork undertaken by external research agency (KANTAR PUBLIC=)
Conducted by face-to-face using trained interviewers and a structured questionnaire which includes a self completion module
Realised the Crime Survey for England and Wales could be adapted to ask adults a series of questions about abuse experienced as a child

7. Child abuse in UK Four components of abuse: Psychological Physical
Sexual
Witnessing domestic violence
Policy needs for data:
Prevalence
Nature of the abuse
Age the abuse started stopped
Victim perpetrator relationship
Reporting rates and reason for not reporting
Reaction of the authorities

8. Question design
In designing the questions, a number of techniques were used:
Cognitive interviews in the home
All interviews digitally recorded and data entered into a bespoke analytic framework which summarises the issue and the cognitive concerns (comprehension, recall, judgement, response), alongside other factors such as logical ordering or socio-linguistic interpretation.
Interview debriefings
Pilot testing

9. Question design Self completion module at end of survey
Questions asked in direct fashion
Use of clear non emotive language
Questions ordered in a general direction of severity:
Psychological
Physical
Sexual
Witnessing domestic violence

10. Adult Survey ethical and other considerations
Ensure a safe interview environment
Ensure the respondent is completely aware of the nature of the questions, and the confidential way in which the data will be held
Ensure that wherever possible the respondent's reaction to the questions has been thought about
Need to consider the interviewer’s role, and their responsibilities

11. Interview Environment
Trained interviewers offering a private and secure environment
Computer assisted self interviewing technique employed

12. Respondent awareness of the nature of the questions and confidentiality
Clear introductory section
A description of the nature of the questions, and what the respondent will be asked
A description of how to end the interview if the respondent becomes upset or does not want to continue
Information letting the respondent know they can ask the interviewer for help at any time to terminate the interview
If not already provided, an assurance of the confidential nature in which the data will be stored and used

13. Respondent’s reaction
Interviewers trained in how to respond when a respondent becomes upset
Set of interview materials including information which can be left with the respondent detailing where further help can be sought
Liaison with charities so they are informed of the survey and what to do if a victim contacts them following the survey

14. Responsibility to the interviewer
Interviewers placed in a difficult situation and safeguarding issues need to be considered
Interviewers must report any emergency to relevant authorities
In all other incidents any responsibility is taken away from the interviewer.
Interviewers must report all non emergency issues immediately to head office, where a panel of experts will discuss the issue and take any decision on behalf of the organisation and the interviewer

15. Results

16. Adults reporting abuse as a child: Prevalence rates by type of abuse and sex

17. Adults reporting abuse as a child: Prevalence rates for sexual assault, by sex

18. Sexual assault by rape or penetration (inc. attempts)
Adults reporting abuse as a child: Relationship to perpetrator, Type of sexual assault
Sexual assault by rape or penetration (inc. attempts)
30% Friend or acquaintance
26% Family member other than parent or step-parent
14% Stranger
Other sexual assault
42% Stranger
23% Friend or Acquaintance
16% Family member other than parent or step-parent

19. Adults reporting abuse as a child: Sexual assault by rape or penetration (including attempts) – Reporting rates
Three quarters (74%) did not tell anyone about the abuse at the time it occurred
Only 7% reported the incident to the police at the time

20. The results
Following publication, the results received widespread media coverage.
Used by Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse
The lead Home Office Minister, Sarah Newton, said: “Having a comprehensive national picture of the scale of these types of crimes is crucial to tackling the problem and protecting our children…… I welcome the ONS’s report.”
Now working with the NSPCC to undertake further analysis of the data looking at the relationship between child abuse and abuse as an adult.

21. New development work by ONS
New module of questions developed for the current survey covering new areas of study – Abuse by peers, institutional abuse, and online abuse
Feasibility study as to whether a survey of young adults and/or children will provide robust data on child abuse.
New module of questions on children’s survey in relation to online behaviour including sexting, and meeting strangers over the internet
Plan to publish full range of administrative data together in one place
Investigate Multiple System Estimation techniques in measuring child abuse, by operating a pilot study in one region in England

22. Concluding remarks
Prevalence studies reach somewhat different estimates on the scale of child abuse, in large part due to different definitions and methodological approaches.
Administrative data tells us how many cases are being reported or identified and recorded, but it remains the case that much child abuse remains hidden
Data on online is largely missing in prevalence studies
In relation to SDG indicators surveys do offer a viable way forward