Child Abuse Covers Final:On Your Marks Cover# 24/7/07 15:14 Page 1 Not Seen and Not Heard
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2082 child abuse covers final:On Your Marks Cover# 24/7/07 15:14 Page 1 Not seen and not heard: Child Abuse Not seen and not New Philanthropy Capital (NPC) helps donors understand how to make the greatest difference to people’s lives. We provide July 2007 independent research and tailored advice on the most effective and rewarding ways to support charities. Emilie Goodall Our research guides donors on how best to support causes Tris Lumley such as cancer, education and mental health. As well as heard highlighting the areas of greatest need, we identify charities that could use donations to best effect. Child abuse Using this research, we advise clients (including individuals, A guide for donors and funders foundations and businesses) on issues such as: • Where is my support most needed, and what results could it achieve? • Which organisation could make the best use of my money? • What is the best way to support these organisations? New Philanthropy Capital 3 Downstream 1 London Bridge London SE1 9BG New Philanthropy Capital t: +44 (0)20 7785 6300 f: +44 (0)20 7785 6301 w: www.philanthropycapital.org e: [email protected] A company limited by guarantee Registered in England and Wales Registered charity number 1091450 • Published by New Philanthropy Capital All rights reserved July 2007 ISBN 978-0-9553148-6-5 Designed by Falconbury Ltd Printed by Quadracolor on 75% recycled stock 2082 child abuse covers final:On Your Marks Cover# 24/7/07 15:14 Page 2 Other publications Community Not seen • A long way to go: Young refugees and asylum seekers in the UK (2007) • Home truths: Adult refugees and asylum seekers (2006) • Inside and out: People in prison and life after release (2005) • Grey matters: Growing older in deprived areas (2004) and not heard • Side by side: Young people in divided communities (2004) • Local action changing lives: Community organisations tackling poverty and social exclusion (2004) Child abuse • Charity begins at home: Domestic violence (2003) A guide for donors and funders Education • Lean on me: Mentoring for young people at risk (2007) • Read on: Literacy skills of young people (2007) • On your marks: Young people in education (2006) • What next?: Careers education and guidance for young people (2005) • School’s out?: Truancy and exclusion (2005) • Making sense of SEN: Special educational needs (2004) Health and disability • Don’t mind me: Adults with mental health problems (2006) • Valuing short lives: Children with terminal conditions (2005) • Ordinary lives: Disabled children and their families (2005) • Out of the shadows: HIV/AIDS in Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda (2005) • The hidden assassin: Cancer in the UK (2004) • Caring about dying: Palliative care and support for the terminally ill (2004) • Rhetoric to action: HIV/AIDS in South Africa (2003) Cross-cutting research • Striking a chord: Using music to change lives (2006) Improving the voluntary sector • Funding success: NPC’s approach to analysing charities (2005) • Surer Funding: Improving government funding of the voluntary sector (2004, published by acevo) • Full cost recovery: a guide and toolkit on cost allocation (2004 published by NPC and acevo) • Just the ticket: Understanding charity fundraising events (2003) • Funding our future II: A manual to understand and allocate costs (2002, published by acevo) Forthcoming research • Autism (2007) • Environment overview (2007) • Out of school hours learning (2007) • Violence against women (2007) • Financial exclusion (2007) • How to fund (2007) • Advocacy and systemic change (2007-08) • Homelessness and housing (2007-08) • Mental health of children and young people (2008) • Substance abuse (2008) This report is available to download free of charge from our website www.philanthropycapital.org To purchase a hard copy, please call Central Books: 0845 458 9910. Notice and Disclaimer • The content of this report is confidential and is the copyright of New Philanthropy Capital. (“NPC”). This report was funded by Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland and an anonymous individual • You may copy this report for your own personal use and research or that of your firm or company. You may not republish, retransmit, redistribute or otherwise make the report available to any other party without NPC’s express prior written consent. Cover photograph supplied by Kristian Buus • NPC shall not be liable for loss or damage arising out of or in connection with the use of this report. This is a comprehensive limitation of liability that applies to all damages of any kind, including (without limitation) compensatory, direct, indirect or consequential damages, loss of data, income or profit, loss of or damage to property and claims of third parties. • Notwithstanding the foregoing, none of the exclusions and limitations in the clause are intended to limit any rights you may have as a consumer under local law or other statutory rights that may not be excluded nor in any way to exclude or limit NPC’s liability to you for death or personal injury resulting from NPC’s negligence or that of its employees or agents. Summary Why children need protection However, there is little consensus on the Abuse, however, happens in schools too. causes of abuse. Even where causes can Half of all primary schoolchildren and one Child abuse in the UK is more widespread be identified, they are part of a list of quarter of secondary schoolchildren report than most of us realise. Research shows contributing risk factors rather than single being bullied in the last year. Charities have that at least one in nine children is the causes, making it difficult to highlight any been instrumental in highlighting such victim of serious abuse. NPC estimates one particular causal factor. peer-on-peer abuse, and continue to be very conservatively that at least 80,000 very active in tackling bullying. children are abused each year, involving Many charities, often in partnership with emotional, physical, sexual abuse and/or local authorities, offer a package of Adult survivors neglect. Abuse can have devastating services aimed at reducing the risk of harm consequences—including death. In the to children. Some of the key factors are The majority of abused children do not short term, research has shown that abuse described in this section, offering donors receive the support and treatment they can damage the developing brain and result the opportunity to make their own choice need to overcome the potential damage in withdrawn or aggressive behaviour. In the about where to focus their giving. caused by abuse. Most children do not longer term, victims of abuse are more likely report their abuse at the time it is to suffer from mental health problems and Away from home happening. Most children fall through the net of the child protection system. This to fall victim to further abuse. Children who have been abused are more means that there are many more adult likely to fall victim to further abuse. They Given the sheer number of children who survivors of abuse than children being can end up running away from home, are abused, the often hidden nature of their abused at any one time. NPC estimates being removed from home, or being forced problems and the widespread, long-term that there could be as many as five-and-a- to leave. Children may leave home for effects, there is an urgent need for action. half million survivors in the UK alone. Children need protection: from becoming other reasons, but once they have left, they the victims of abuse in the first place; from are at high risk of abuse. These are some Not all survivors of abuse want support, or suffering its consequences; and from living of society’s most vulnerable children. actively seek it. However, the number of organisations that have sprung up to offer with the after-effects as adult survivors. In the longer term, these children risk the a listening ear or more formal counselling This report will show that donors can worst forms of social exclusion: from for survivors suggests that many do want change lives—and even save lives—with substance abuse to homelessness and help. These groups do little advertising of their support. prison. Charities are at the forefront of their work; demand could massively working with these children, yet they suffer outstrip their capacity if all survivors were The child protection system from a serious lack of funding. aware that support was available. In order to provide context for the work of the charities in this field, which spend an Sexual abuse Society estimated £1.1bn per annum on tackling The sexual abuse of children generates much child abuse, this section outlines the details Broader changes in attitudes and heated media attention. But the reality is that of the child protection system. Central behaviours are required across the country predatory strangers are not the greatest government is responsible for the current in order to tackle child abuse head on. threat to children. Four out of five offenders system, which identifies, reports and deals Work that aims to create change across are known to the child, while children with cases of abuse through local society as a whole may be the most commit one in three sexual offences. government and charities. Local familiar area of this field to donors. The Full government itself is the major funder of Effective work to prevent sexual abuse Stop campaign by the National Society for charities dealing with child abuse. must focus on perpetrators, as well as the Prevention of Cruelty to Children working with children, their families and the Charities sometimes act as part of this (NSPCC) is by far the most visible community—to prevent them from abusing system: they help to reach more children; element of charities’ recent efforts to tackle in the first place and deal with them once they also monitor and suggest child abuse.