A new campaign is running across Wales to raise awareness of child sexual abuse – and what we can all do to prevent it.
Run by Stop It Now! Wales, the ‘Child sexual abuse prevention – It’s time we talked about it’ campaign features awareness raising sessions for parents, carers and professionals – along with resources for each. Crucial messages are also being promoted through social media.
It is only in recent years that we have come to appreciate the true scale of the sexual abuse of children. The secrecy surrounding such abuse is evident in the fact that 1 in 3 children who are sexually abused by an adult do not tell anyone. Of those who do tell, most tell a family member or friend. Hardly any come to the attention of police, social services or health professionals. This is why is so important that we understand the risks, take protective measures and are confident to take action if we need to.
Key stats:
- 1 in 3 children sexually abused by an adult do not tell anyone
- 4 out of 5 children abused by a peer told no one else at the time
- Only 1 in 8 sexually abused children are known to the authorities
- 90% of sexually abused children are abused by someone they know
- Around a third of sexual abuse is committed by other children and young people
- Disabled children are over 3 times more likely to be abused than non-disabled children
- There is no stereotypical abuser – abusers come from all walks of life – and from all socioeconomic backgrounds
Most victims of child sexual abuse don’t talk about it and can’t ask for help. So we, as adults, have to. By understanding the risks, and knowing what do to if we have a concern – we can prevent abuse from happening in the first place.
This campaign aims to provide adults with the information we all need to put in place preventative measures, recognise the warning signs of child sexual abuse – and build the confidence to do something about it.
The scale and secrecy which surrounds child sexual abuse means we all have a part to play in tackling it. Information about the campaign is available here: https://www.stopitnow.org.uk/wales/its-time-we-talked-about-it/
And further information and resources are available on the Parents Protect website: https://www.parentsprotect.co.uk/
You can follow Stop it Now! Wales on Twitter:http://@StopItNowWales and find them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stopitnowukandireland/ to help support the campaign and spread prevention messages.
The Stop It Now! Wales team can be contacted on wales@stopitnow.org.uk for more information.
