Child abuse
Children living away from home are better protected against abuse than in the mid-1990s when a succession of scandals in care homes were exposed.
But there has been little or no progress in bringing sex abusers to justice, or in providing adequate help for children who have been sexually abused.
And there are concerns for the protection of specially vulnerable groups, including disabled children and children in prison, according to a report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
Stakeholder Response: Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Marian Stuart, co-author of the report, said: "The incidence of sexual abuse of children is greater than most people realise, yet the number of convictions remains worryingly low. Experts estimate that fewer than one in 50 sexual offences results in a criminal conviction.
"If this problem continues to go unchecked, there will be an inexorable rise in the numbers of children subjected to sexual abuse, with all the damaging effects that can follow. A radical rethink is essential.
"We need to put more effort into gathering and analysing information about abusers and the scale of abuse, so that effective prevention, early intervention and treatment can be provided.
"But we also should be doing more to safeguard children from un-convicted sex offenders, as well as the small minority that have been convicted and registered."
Stakeholder Response: ChildLine
Natasha Finlayson,ChildLine director of policy and communications, said: "This timely research reminds all of us involved in safeguarding and protecting children that while much has been achieved, there are still areas we must urgently address to ensure more childhoods are not lost to the scourge that is sexual abuse. The way the criminal justice system deals with sex abusers is one of these areas.
"ChildLine has long campaigned for real, child-centred change within the justice system in order to protect children, help them give evidence, and allow the courts to hear the truth.
"We frequently speak to children on our helpline who tell us of the betrayal they feel when their abuse case fails to be prosecuted, often because their own testimony is considered insufficient – effectively because it is their word against an adult's. Some of these children call us many years after the case was dropped, describing their continuing pain, distress and anger.
"It is too early to know whether the recent Home Office strategy to protect the public from sex offenders, including the measures implemented following the Sexual Offences Act, will ensure that children and young people are better protected from abusers who continually evade justice, either as a result of flaws in record-keeping and sharing, or the reluctance of victims to come forward and pursue a charge.
"The implementation of public protection arrangements should also be accompanied by a national strategy and resources to address the woeful lack of availability of rehabilitation and preventative programmes, either in prison or in the community.
"Where a person, be it through professional assessment or by their own admission, continues to pose a significant danger to children a programme of secure treatment must be made available."
Stakeholder Response: Commission for Social Care Inspection
A spokesman for CSCI said: "The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) is the single social care Inspectorate for
"The Commission is leading with other Inspectorates on the forthcoming and second Children’s Safeguards Review which will bring together evidence from inspections of safeguarding arrangements in health, education, social care and the criminal justice system.
"The Inspectorates are jointly undertaking additional studies relating to asylum seeking children; disabled children; children in long stay health settings and looked after children who are placed out of their local council area. This is to ensure comprehensive coverage taking account of the findings of a previous Safeguarding Children Review and an outstanding recommendation of the Utting report on children in long stay health settings. CSCI will examine with these partners the issues raised in the Joseph Rowntree report as part of the review. The fieldwork will be completed by the end of the year and the report published in June 2005.
Commenting on the report Dr Roger Morgan OBE , children’s rights director at CSCI said:"The report highlights some improvements in policy and there has been real progress since the original report `People Like Us’ by Sir William Utting, published in 1997. It is also clear that there is room for improvement. The Commission is determined that children and young people’s voices are heard and that the services they use meet their needs and that safeguards are in place and properly implemented."
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