Parent education is the way forward says child protection charity

16 March 2009

Educating parents and carers about the risks of child sexual abuse, about the signs parents can look for, and about the steps they can take to protect their children is the most effective way of preventing child sexual abuse, according to a leading child protection campaign.

As four police forces today widen the Home Office disclosure pilots, staff from Stop It Now! UK and Ireland called for better information for all adults so they can play their part in the fight against this life changing crime

"I am delighted to see more than 150 families in the disclosure pilot areas have already been given practical information and advice about keeping children safe," said Stop it Now! Director Donald Findlater. "For me this is of as much value as the small number of cases where a disclosure has resulted."

"Sadly we know one in six children suffer sexual abuse before they reach 16.

"And today, as the Government expands the disclosure pilots, we are calling on all adults to recognise they have a critical role to play in keeping children safe. What we do not want is for those who care for and are responsible for children to be distracted into thinking that the disclosure pilots necessarily make children safe.

"The fact is that most child victims do not report their abuse and most abuse is committed by someone the child knows or trusts.

"The police only know about a small proportion of abuse, so disclosure can only work effectively in a small proportion of cases.

"It is imperative, whether they are in a disclosure pilot area or not, that parents and carers in particular learn to recognise the warning signs of abuse, know where to get advice and support and know where to take any concerns they have.

"Child sexual abuse is preventable. It is not inevitable," said Mr. Findlater.

The Child Sex Offender Review 2007, which announced the disclosure pilots, also set up a pilot public education programme that currently operates in Surrey and Birmingham.

Educate 2 Protect and Smart Enough? engage with parents to help them learn how to protect their children. They learn the signs to look out for as well as the steps they can take to prevent abuse in the first place.

They also learn the biggest risk to children is not from those on the sex offender register who are already being managed by police, probation and other agencies but from people known and trusted by children and young people.

Stop it Now! urges the Government to learn the lessons from the public education pilots and ensure all parents have access to information, advice and support that helps them best protect their children from sexual abuse.

Stop it Now! also urges the Government to fully evaluate the disclosure pilots before any further expansion of the scheme is undertaken.

"Precious public monies need to be spent only on those things known to be effective at keeping children safe," said Mr. Findlater.

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