Who sexually abuses children?

People who sexually harm and abuse children can be anybody – family members (dads, mums, brothers, sisters, aunties, uncles, grandparents), family friends, neighbours, babysitters and members of your community – some may hold responsible positions in society. Some may use the internet and mobile phones to sexually harm children.

Because abusers, most of whom are men but some are women, come from all classes, racial and religious backgrounds and may be heterosexual or homosexual, you cannot pick an abuser out in a crowd. Many sexual abusers have adult sexual relationships whilst maintaining a sexual interest in children.

We know that at least 8 out of 10 children who are sexually abused know their abuser and their abuser may be someone they know, care about and to whom they are emotionally attached. We, as concerned adults, may also know and be emotionally attached to someone who we believe may be causing harm to a child.

This attachment can be a barrier to us taking action to protect children – often we don’t want to believe what we are worrying about and are concerned about seeking help in case we’ve “got it wrong”. If you are one of these worried people you can phone our confidential Helpline for support and advice.

What are the signs that someone might be sexuallay abusing a child? For more click here.

Call the Stop it Now! FREEPHONE CONFIDENTIAL 0808 1000 900 helpline for advice, support and information. 

Confidentiality Statement
Our telephone Helpline offers a confidential service for people seeking advice and support.  This means that when contacting us you do not have to give any identifying information such as address, telephone number or last name. 

However if you do give us identifying information and we are concerned that a child is at risk or a criminal offence has been committed which the police may not be aware of, we will have to pass on that information to the appropriate agencies. 

We also offer a confidential e-mail service, help@stopitnow.org.uk, on which you can contact us.  Your e-mail address will not be displayed.