An average of sixty sex offences against children were recorded every day by police in England and Wales last year the NSPCC reveals today.

The statistics which were obtained under a Freedom of Information request from all 43 forces in England and Wales, show under-18s were victims of sex crimes, including rape, gross indecency and incest, on 21,618 occasions during 2008-091.

One in seven of the children (3035) were younger than ten and 1,000 were five and under. In more than three out of four cases the offences were committed against 10 to 17-year-olds (17,091)2.

The statistics show girls were six times more likely than boys to be the victims of a sex crime. And the number of incidents where the offender knew the victim was four times higher than those involving strangers.3

The Home Office gathers data from police forces for its annual crime report, which shows there was a total of 51,4884 for all sexual offences in 2008-09, including both adults and children and only splits the figure to show those over or under 13.
Combining these statistics blurs the picture and even though detailed age breakdowns of victims are collected by police they are not passed to the Home Office.
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This is the second year5 the NSPCC has collected this data and is again calling on the UK Government to publish these details and to clearly link them with the number of convictions and other penalties resulting from the recorded offences. This information could then feed into a national sex abuse prevention strategy as well as helping the development of local services to treat child victims.

NSPCC director of strategy and development Phillip Noyes said: “These figures show just how many children are still being sexually abused every day. It’s a shocking picture – even more so because these are only offences reported to the police. We believe the true extent of the problem is far worse.

“Some of these children are so young they can’t tell anyone what is happening. So it’s vital that adults look out for them and call the NSPCC helpline or contact police and social services if they are concerned.

“Even when they are older some children don’t speak out about the sexual abuse they have suffered because they’re scared they won’t be believed. But help is always available for them through ChildLine.” (0800 1111)

Media office on 020 7825 2533. Out of hours mobile 07976 206 625.

Notes to editors:

1.     The NSPCC asked each police force in England and Wales via a Freedom of Information request. All forces responded. The questions were: 1. How many children (under18) were victims of sex offences committed in your police force area during the year April 2008 – March 2009. 2. Can you supply a gender and exact age breakdown for these victims? 3. What is the relationship of the alleged offender to the victim, if known?

2.     Not all police forces gave a specific age or gender breakdown. Some only gave age ranges.

3.     Nearly two-thirds of the forces (26) provided details about offender relationships.

4.     Source: Home Office Statistical Bulletin, Crime in England and Wales 08/09.

The total number of recorded offences for 2007-08 was 20,758 but one force did not provide any statistics.

Tags: Child Abuse, child protection, Child Safety, ChildLine, nsppc

Your Family, the NSPCC online parenting magazine, kicks off the New Year with a bumper issue featuring topics such as money-saving tips, weaning advice and how to entertain the kids on a rainy day.

Money saving tips
Many of us are feeling the pinch after the festive season and with January pay day seemingly further away than ever, here are some top tips sent in by readers of Your Family to help you make every penny count.

Buy energy-saving bulbs: “We keep lights on all night outside the children’s rooms and the bulbs kept blowing. So we bought energy-saving bulbs, which were more expensive but are supposed to last longer and use less electricity. Three years later, they’re still going strong!”

Freeze leftovers: “If I have food left over after a meal, I always put it straight in the freezer. I used to leave it in the fridge and then forget about it until it had gone off! Now everything gets eaten.”

Turn off and unplug: “Turn televisions, DVD players, stereos, computers and other electrical equipment off when you’re not using them. If you leave them on ‘standby’, they’ll continue to use power and add to your electricity bill. Likewise, unplug your mobile phone charger after use.”

Weaning advice
If you have a baby approaching six months, you will probably be familiar with the anxiety and turmoil that surrounds getting your baby to start eating solids. An article in this issue of Your Family talks about baby-led weaning, which involves encouraging a six month old to join in eating healthy family meals by feeding themself with their fingers. The point of this is to allow baby to play with their food and eat as much or as little as they like — as it’s more about them learning the taste and texture of foods. Baby should still be offered her usual milk feeds.

Rainy day play
With the recent bad weather parents might be tempted to submit to their littles ones demands to watch television all day! Help is at hand, Your Family has put together a a few fun activities to keep children and parents occupied no matter what the weather is like outside. Take advantage of detailed instructions on how to make a fort, decorate your wellies or make a flower card.

Related Websites

Read the full articles and more here

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Tags: Charity, nsppc, Your Family

A new course to give doctors more skills in managing suspected cases of child abuse has been launched by the Royal College of Paediatrics & Child Health (RCPCH), the NSPCC and the Advanced Life Support Group (ALSG).

Child Protection in Practice provides specialty trainees with the competencies required for their on-going child protection practice. It will be rolled out to doctors training in paediatrics.

Every paediatrician has to take a recognised child protection course as part of their training. It is hoped that eventually everyone studying paediatrics will undertake the RCPCH, NSPCC and ALSG training course too.

Child Protection in Practice has been designed by the RCPCH, NSPCC and the ALSG. It is an e-learning course and each of the modules is taught using a variety of interactive techniques. There are also facilitated online discussion forums for some topics so that trainees can benefit by sharing experiences not only with peers but with senior colleagues.

This new course builds on the Child Protection Recognition and Response course launched in 2006 and will strengthen the nationwide training standard for all doctors and specialists who work closely with children and young people.

Dr Alistair Thomson, Vice-President, Education, Royal College Paediatrics and Child Health:

“Children in whom abuse is suspected are routinely brought to paediatricians for assessment. The RCPCH aims to educate paediatricians in training to recognise and respond appropriately to possible cases of child abuse. This course will equip paediatricians to diagnose – or exclude – abuse and then work with other team members in the best interests of the child.”

Enid Hendry, NSPCC Director of Training and Consultancy said:

“Great reliance is placed on the skills and judgement of paediatricians to ensure the right decisions are made when child abuse or neglect is suspected. This authoritative new training programme will help them play their critical role with increased confidence and knowledge and help ensure children get better protection.”

For information on the NSPCC http://www.charities-direct.co.uk/

Tags: ALSG, Child Abuse, Child Health, child protection, Child Protection in Practice, Child Protection Recognition and Response, Dr Alistair Thomson, NSPCC, nsppc, RCPCH, Royal College of Paediatrics & Child Health