Sexual Abuse

“Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, not necessarily involving a high level of violence, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening.”

Keeping Children Safe in Education

It is important to remember that child sexual abuse can occur in any context. Some examples might include:

Sexual abuse within the family space - this could include abuse by a parent, sibling, other relative or person treated as if they are family. This is understood to be the most common context in which child sexual abuse occurs. According to the Centre for Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse, after sexual abuse by a parent, harmful sexual behaviour by siblings is the second most common form of child sexual abuse within the family environment reported to police. 

Sexual abuse by groups or networks – also known as group-based sexual abuse or in the media often referred to as sexual exploitation by ‘grooming gangs’ or ‘rape gangs’. 

Sexual abuse via a personal connection – abuse by someone who creates a personal connection with the child and exploits this to enact sexual abuse. Often the abuser has led the child to believe that they are in a consensual relationship. This is often also referred to as the ‘boyfriend model’ of child sexual exploitation. 

Sexual abuse within or linked to some form of institution – such as schools, health services, sports clubs, care homes or religious institutions. Sometimes abusers will harm a single child, but those who commit abuse in an institutional context often harm multiple children, and several abusers may be operating within/linked to the same institution. If the institution itself covers up or fails to identify and address sexual abuse by those in or linked to the institution, the negative impact of the abuse is compounded. 

Online sexual abuse – all types of abuse could include the use of the internet, but some events of abuse occur with the perpetrator operating only via the internet. This might include a child being forced, coerced or threatened to provide intimate images or videos, and unwanted sexual conversations.

Viewing, sharing or possessing child sexual abuse images – every time a child sexual abuse image is viewed and shared, the child who has been abused is re-victimised. The 2024 Annual Report from the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) revealed that more than 290,000 of the reports they received were confirmed to contain images or videos of children suffering sexual abuse. Virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI), have provided new and increasingly wide-ranging opportunities to facilitate child sexual abuse, with the IWF reporting a continued increase in the number and severity of child sexual abuse imagery being facilitated by AI.

Any child can be at risk from sexual abuse. Some groups at increased risk include very young children, children with SEND, children in care and children experiencing other forms of abuse.

Identifying sexual abuse in children limited communication skills or learning difficulties is particularly challenging, and they may be at greater risk because the perpetrator may believe their victim does not have the capacity to communicate.

Vulnerability might not only relate to the child’s characteristics, but it might also relate to the situation they are in. Abusers can gain access to children via families who are vulnerable themselves or going through a difficult time. 
In very rare cases, some parents enable sexual abuse of their children to occur as part of the intimate relationship they have formed with the abuser. When considering risk of sexual abuse, it is vital that we consider children in their context. 

Physical indicators

These include:

• soreness of the genital area and/or discharge;
• soiling or wetting the bed or clothes;
• sexually transmitted infections;
• recurrent abdominal pains;
• eating disorders;
• pregnancy.

Behavioural indicators

These include:

• having sexual knowledge beyond what would be expected for the age/stage of development;
• showing inappropriate sexual behaviour or language for their age/stage of development;
• being sexually active at a very young age;
• spending increased amounts of time online and/or being increasingly secretive or agitated about privacy;
• concerning sexual behaviour in adolescents;
• avoiding being alone with particular people;
• showing fear of individuals;
• depression;
• self-harm;
• aggressive, hostile, abusive behaviours;
• poor self-esteem.

• Create an environment based on equality and informed choice – in an age-appropriate way, help children/young people to think about the issues and attitudes behind sexual abuse particularly regarding consent, gender and other equality issues.
• Ensure young people are informed – explain about privacy, private body parts, and how to recognise sexual abuse in an age-appropriate way.
• Check young people have safe relationships – in their family, with other children/young people and with your staff. Create an environment where it is okay to talk, even about the most difficult things.
• Seek support, guidance and information – child sexual abuse is a difficult subject to consider and, for some, this can be a barrier to thinking about this being a possibly for the children they work with. Seek support from your safeguarding lead - and remember - this subject is difficult for everyone, but children require the adults around them to not be avoidant of the topic.
• Know the signs and know what to do – use the checklists above, your safeguarding procedures and be confident to raise sexual abuse as a possibility.
• Take action – and keep taking action until you know children and young people are safe.