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Child Sexual Abuse (CSA)

Introduction

The Keeping Bristol Safe Partnership's 2023-2026 Strategic Plan sets out the partnership's intent to improve the identification and response to Child Sexual Abuse in Bristol.

Child sexual abuse affects children of all backgrounds, genders and ages. It can include (but not exclusive to)

Child sexual abuse can impact all aspects of children's development and wellbeing. However it is often a hidden form of abuse and there are many barriers for children speaking to people about what is happening to them and also barriers to professionals feeling confident to recognise it and respond.

For resources to tackle incidents of sexual abuse that happens outside of the family home, please consider visiting our contextual safeguarding page. 

Training Expectations

Interpretation of Keeping Children Safe in Education statutory guidance indicates a recommendation of how you may support training and development for your staff groups and workforce: 

  • All staff who work with children should have a basic general awareness of sexual abuse in line with their knowledge of Part 1 and Annex B. 
  • There is a free course professionals can access for Identifying and responding to intra-familial child sexual abuse - eLearning | CSA Centre - FREE - and takes about 90 mins.
  • Child-on-child sexual harassment carries statutory considerations (given its position in Part 5 of Keeping Children Safe in Education) - it recommended that whole staff awareness and those with more operational/strategic responsibilities for safeguarding (designated safeguarding leads and deputies) undertake additional in depth training. 
  • The CSA centre provides a suite of free and chargeable training opportunities. This would be appropriate for designated safeguarding leads and deputies. Events | CSA Centre

 

Advice and guidance

We encourage professionals to be able to follow their safeguarding policy and procedures. Settings must following the Local Safeguarding Partnerships pathways which includes taking action with statutory agencies when a child is need and or at risk of and/or suffering significant harm. 

We are mindful that there may need to be a confidential space depending on the situation the Lucy Faithful Foundation provides confidential advice and guidance to all around the issue of Child Sexual Abuse through the Stop It Now helpline. 

call 0808 1000 900 or visit: http://bit.ly/35oIUmz.

 

Related pages

Online Sexual abuse (technology assisted)

Local Support 

 

  • Bristol Ideal Award - Part of the Healthy Schools awards - a set of standards for settings to follow to improve their approach to domestic abuse, sexual violence and healthy relationships.

The award represents a commitment to safeguarding staff, students and preventing unhealthy behaviours in the next generation.

National Resources

The Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse have produced a number of guides and resources to support you to work with children and families affected by sexual abuse: 

 

Stop It Now | Preventing child sexual abuse- a child protection charity set up by the The Lucy Faithfull Foundation, working to prevent child sexual abuse. We campaign and raise awareness across the UK to help adults to do their part to stop child sexual abuse by addressing personal, family and community concerns. There is a connected site for parents and carers - Parents Protect with films, tips and resources to support with safety planning.