Child Protection Charter launched
To mark World Day for the Prevention of Child Abuse (November19, 2009), the Stop it Now! campaign has launched a new Child Protection Charter which calls on all parents to take action to protect children from sexual abuse.
The Charter urges all adults to:
- Talk to children about boundaries and what is good and bad touch
- Talk with friends and family about the warning signs of child sexual abuse
- Talk to children about being safe on the Internet
- Talk when we’re worried about someone's behaviour
- Talk… because talking prevents child sexual abuse
The campaign is being launched in order to encourage recognition of the scale of the problem of child sexual abuse in the UK and offer adults advice and support on how they can prevent it.
The need to immediately address these issues has been particularly highlighted by the recent high-profile case involving the abuse of a number of children at Little Ted’s nursery in Plymouth. This advice is being launched in the run-up to the sentencing of Vanessa George and her co-defendants due on December 14th.
With 80% of child sexual abuse being committed by friends and family, and with the recent Childline report indicating a rising number of reports of women committing abuse, the Charter recommends that parents learn the signs to look out for and seek advice when they are worried by another adult’s behaviour, especially when they are family members or good friends.
Since 2002 25% of over 14,000 calls made to the Stop it Now! helpline have been from people concerned about the behaviour of a family member or friend. All callers were given advice on what action to take to protect a child.
The Charter is being unveiled alongside a new poster campaign, which includes a series of challenging images, highlighting that 75% of children who experience sexual abuse do not tell anyone about it at the time. The campaign calls all adults to talk about the reality of abuse and to act if they suspect a child is being abused.
Commenting on the launch of the Charter, Donald Findlater said:
“Although child sexual abuse is currently high on the media and public policy agenda, parents need to know that the risk is real, but that there is so much that they can do to protect their children. By the time police officers and social workers are involved, abuse is likely to have happened. At Stop it Now! we want parents to take action before abuse has happened.
“Past studies have demonstrated that one in six children in the UK has suffered sexual abuse*, most often at the hands of a family member or family friend. Damage on this scale will continue unless all adults take action. Child sexual abuse is not inevitable, it is preventable.
“Having worked with sex offenders, their victims and their families for many years, the advice given in this Charter focuses on helping parents to take steps to prevent abuse, encouraging them to talk to each other but also to equip their children with knowledge that will help to keep them safe. It is also imperative that we offer adults who are concerned about someone behaviour towards children access to confidential advice and support – that is what the Stop it Now! Helpline does; rather like a Childline for adults.
“As our new poster campaign states – to stop child sexual abuse we need to start talking about it”
