A contemporary case file analysis of child sexual abuse in institutional settings in England and Wales

Abstract

BackgroundDespite increased institutional safeguards and regularly updated statutory guidance that stresses safeguarding is ‘everybody's responsibility’, children continue to be sexually abused in institutional contexts in England and Wales. There also remains a lack of contemporary knowledge about institutions' responses to concerns about [risk of] CSA. ObjectiveReviewing Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) discretionary-decision case files, as a detailed source of information about CSA in institutions occurring in the last 5 years, the aim of this paper was to understand what institutions knew about CSA and inappropriate behaviours that indicated children could be at risk of harm prior to formal disclosures to the DBS and how institutions did, or did not, respond to this knowledge. Participants and settingCases involved 32 male and 11 female barred persons and 19 male and 51 female sexually abused children. MethodThematic analysis was applied to 43 files where decisions were made by the DBS to add individuals to the Children's Barred list (which prevents them by law from working with children) between 2017 and 2020. ResultsIn 79% of cases there was some level of awareness of concerns relating to inappropriate behaviour or CSA, through rumours and gossip, concerns about professionalism, and observed changes in the behaviour of subsequently barred individuals or victims. There was wide variation in the degree to which institutions responded. In a small number of cases action was taken promptly; however, this was not typical. ConclusionsInstitutions and professionals failed in their duty of care by not taking any action at all, or responding slowly in ways that did not prevent CSA.