Chapter Four - Recognition of Child Sexual Abuse in the United Kingdom

Abstract

This chapter discusses the recognition of child sexual abuse in the United Kingdom. It presents the survey data as an example of the process of recognition of child sexual abuse. In the United States in 1978, sexual abuse of children was a growing national concern. The number of reported cases was increasing considerably, and many communities were developing treatment programs for victims and their families. In the United Kingdom, however, this was not happening. There was not as yet any widespread recognition of child sexual abuse as a major social problem. Even though there is no mandatory reporting of child abuse in Britain, identification and intervention are heavily influenced by government guidelines. Until 1980, circulars from the Department of Health and Social Security had not included sexual abuse within the definition of child abuse. The only figures available in the United Kingdom on the incidence of child sexual abuse were criminal statistics, particularly those on incest. There were no boys identified in this age group, but older boys were more vulnerable. It is possible that as boys and girls become more sexually developed as they approach adolescence, their chances of being sexually abused increase. Another possibility is that it is easier for professionals to identify sexual abuse in this age group because these children talk about their experiences.