Rapid Evidence Assessment: What Can Be Learnt from Other Jurisdictions About Preventing and Responding to Child Sexual Abuse
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Rapid Evidence Assessment: What can be learnt from other jurisdictions about preventing and responding to child sexual abuse Lorraine Radford, Helen Richardson Foster, Christine Barter & Nicky Stanley Connect Centre for International Research on Interpersonal Violence School of Social Work, Care & Community, University of Central Lancashire Disclaimer This is a Rapid Evidence Assessment prepared at IICSA's request. The views expressed in this report are those of the authors alone. Contents List of tables and figures 4 Tables 4 Figures 4 Glossary of acronyms and abbreviations 5 Definitions 7 Executive Summary 9 1. Introduction 14 1.1 Background 14 1.2 Methodology 15 1.3 Challenges in demonstrating ‘what works’ 24 1.4 Report structure 26 2. Overview of the evidence and research literature 27 3. Primary prevention 30 3.1 National policy responses 31 3.2 Regional and Inter-national policy 35 3.3 Multi sector coordinated responses 36 3.4 Justice system 36 3.5 Education 39 3.6 Health and mental health 42 3.7 Child welfare 42 3.8 Voluntary sector, faith based organisations and independent services 44 3.9 Online 49 3.10 Research gaps 50 3.11 Description of evidence on primary prevention 51 4. Identification, disclosure and reporting 60 4.1 National policy responses 62 4.2 Regional and Inter-national policy 64 4.3 Multi sector coordinated responses 65 4.5 Justice system 69 4.6 Education 70 4.7 Health and mental health 71 4.8 Child welfare 73 4.9 Voluntary sector, faith based organisations and independent services 74 4.10 Online 76 2 4.11 Gaps 77 4.12 Description of evidence on disclosure, identification and reporting 78 5. Protection response and reducing re-offending 88 5.1 National policy responses 89 5.2 Regional and Inter-national policy 90 5.3 Multi sector coordinated responses 91 5.4 Justice system 91 5.5 Education 98 5.6 Health and mental health 99 5.7 Child welfare 99 5.8 Voluntary sector, faith based organisations and independent services 99 5.9 Online 100 5.10 Research gaps 100 5.11 Description of evidence on the control and management of offenders 101 6. Support for victims and survivors 116 6.1 National policy responses 118 6.2 Regional and International policy 119 6.3 Multi sector coordinated responses 119 6.4 Justice system 120 6.5 Education 122 6.6 Health and Mental health 122 6.7 Child welfare 129 6.8 Voluntary sector, faith based organisations and independent services 130 6.9 Online 131 6.10 Gaps in the research 131 6.11 Description of the evidence on support for victims and survivors 132 7. What works? - messages and lessons for England & Wales 141 8. Conclusion 157 References 158 Appendices 186 Appendix A: Search strategy 186 Appendix B: Quality assessment and data extraction forms 195 3 List of tables and figures Tables Table Number Heading Page Table 1 Outcomes framework 19 Table 2 Prevention papers 51 Table 3 Identification, disclosure, reporting and protection 79 papers Table 4 Control and management of offenders papers 102 Table 5 Support for Victims and Survivors papers 133 Figures Figure Number Heading Page Figure 1 Jurisdiction for the research studies included in 28 the review Figure 2 Type of response addressed by the research 28 studies included in the review Figure 3 Organisational context for research studies 29 included in the review 4 Glossary of acronyms and abbreviations ACPO Association of Chief Police Officers ASO Adult sex offender BAMER Black, Asian, minority ethnic and refugee CBT Cognitive behavioural therapy CEOP Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre CoSA Circles of Support and Accountability CSA Child sexual abuse CSE Child sexual exploitation DfE Department for Education EC European Community ECPAT End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes ELA Empowerment and Livelihood for Adolescents project EMDR Eye movement desensitivisation and reprocessing eNASCO European NGO Alliance for Child Safety Online ESO Education for sex offenders EU European Union HMIC Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary IICSA Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse IWF Internet Watch Foundation LGBT Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender MAPPA Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements MST Multi systemic therapy NCA National Crime Agency NGO Non-Governmental Organisation NOMS National Offender Management Service NSPCC National Society for the Protectio of Children PACE Parents Against Child Sexual Exploitation PTSD Post traumatic stress disorder 5 REA Rapid evidence assessment RCT Randomised controlled trial RNR Risk, needs and responsivity SARC Sexual assault referral centre SBP Sexual behaviour problems SORN Sex offender registration and notification policy TF-CBT Trauma focused cognitive behavioural therapy UNCRC United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child UNICEF United Nations WHO World Health Organisation 6 Definitions A ‘child’ is any person under the age of 18, as defined by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989. ‘Sexual abuse of children’ involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities. The activities may include physical contact and non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, sexual images, watching sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways, or grooming a child in preparation for abuse including via the internet. Child sexual abuse includes child sexual exploitation (DfE, 2009). ‘Sexual exploitation of children’ is a form of child sexual abuse. It occurs where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18 into sexual activity (a) in exchange for something the victim needs or wants, and/or (b) for the financial advantage or increased status of the perpetrator or facilitator. The victim may have been sexually exploited even if the sexual activity appears consensual. Child sexual exploitation does not always involve physical contact; it can also occur through the use of technology (DfE, 2017, p.5). ‘Other jurisdiction’ is a jurisdiction outside England and Wales, that is similar to the jurisdiction of England and Wales but may have different models of cooperation, funding arrangements, information sharing and departmental structures designed to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation. ‘Similar’ jurisdictions have been interpreted broadly to include other countries within the United Kingdom and Ireland (Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland), high income English speaking nations commonly included in comparative cross national research on child protection (such as the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia), members of the EU 28 and Scandinavian nations (Iceland and Norway). ‘Institution’ or ‘organisation’, as defined by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), covers the state and non-state organisations with responsibility for preventing and responding to child sexual abuse and exploitation. These cover a wide range of organisations across the different sectors of health, education, welfare and social care, law and justice, including local authorities, children’s homes, police, prisons, young offender institutions, health and mental health treatment services, schools, colleges, special schools, residential schools, early years provision, charities, faith based organisations, armed forces and the private sector. ‘Prevention’ is understood to mean prevention and response, covering primary prevention (preventing child sexual abuse and sexual exploitation happening in the first place through universal or targeted interventions), secondary prevention (immediate 7 responses taken after child sexual abuse or exploitation has happened to deal with the consequences and prevent further victimisation, this includes identification and assessment of victims and survivors, child protection responses, prosecution or management of offenders) and tertiary prevention (long term responses to deal with the lasting consequences and future offending, this includes rehabilitation, therapy and treatment for victims and survivors and offenders) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2004). The term ‘victims and survivors’ is used throughout the report to indicate those who have experienced child sexual abuse or exploitation, unless an alternative phrase has been specifically used in the research referenced or where a police or court response is discussed. 8 Executive Summary Introduction This Rapid Evidence Assessment was commissioned by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse in England and Wales which is investigating whether public bodies and other non-state institutions have taken seriously their duties to care for and protect children and young people from child sexual abuse and exploitation. The question for the review was: What can be learnt from jurisdictions, outside of England and Wales, about the role of institutions, including accountable state and non-state organisations with responsibility for children in preventing and responding to child sexual abuse and exploitation? Key messages ● No jurisdiction has everything ‘right’. While overall robust research on what is effective is limited, there is plenty of promising evidence that can be developed further to inform work in England and Wales. ● Adequately resourced, comprehensive, multi sector approaches that aim to prevent and respond to child sexual abuse and exploitation are likely to be the most effective approaches.