Major new report from UoB on gang-related sexual violence

Two days ago a report, two years in the writing, was released on gang-related sexual violence in England. It was commissioned by the Office of the Children's Commissioner (OCC) and written by researchers working at UoB. I think it's one of the hardest hitting things I've ever read whilst I've done this job, but I'm proud to say that I work for the institution that produced it.

It details both the depth and breadth of sexual abuse that is perpetrated against young girls within the world of gang culture, featuring many hours of interviews with both victims and perpetrators. UoB reported the findings like this.

In addition there was a special report on Newsnight which is currently available on iplayer. The item (which begins 16 minutes into the show and runs for 17 minutes in total) will be accessible for another 5 days. I should also add that it includes strong descriptions of sexual and violent acts.

The full report, which is called "It's wrong...but you get used to it", is available here.

Finally, there are four films made by young people to accompany the report and they're available here.

If you have any questions at all about the research carried out then please do ask.

New report from the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre

The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) has just published its annual report. This specialist police unit monitors how well civil court orders work in preventing sex offenders from re-offending after being released from prison. The report states in no uncertain terms that the current measures fail to protect children, and suggests a simplification of what is currently on offer would help prevent further abuses.

To view how the BBC are currently reporting the issue then go here or to view the full-text CEOP report click here.

If you need help with referencing this kind of report (especially if you think it would be appropriate for a late insertion into your dissertation!) then email me as soon as possible.

Proposed changes to how child sex abuse allegations are handled

There was a major announcement yesterday by Keir Starmer, Director of Public Prosecutions, suggesting changes as to how allegations of sex abuse should be handled. Broadly this came down to potential victims being treated more seriously from the first moment allegations are made. This is clearly a hugely important issue and any fundamental changes in the perception of victims' credibility could affect any number of areas in which you may work. 

I'm old enough to remember the investigations on Orkney in the early 90's and distinctly recall the distress that dozens of families endured when children were removed without any hard evidence of abuse occurring. I've heard it said by student social workers and others how difficult it can sometimes be to do nothing, even when you've nothing but an unsubstantiated feeling that something isn't right in a family setting.

The newly proposed guidelines suggest a definite shift back towards 'let's assume potential victims are telling us the truth', which many have suggested is a clear reaction to what happened with Jimmy Savile.

The BBC covered the story in great depth yesterday so if you need some background information I suggest that's where you go. It's balanced reporting and makes the point that although many have welcomed the proposed changes, the spectre of being falsely accused can also ruin lives.

This is a tremendously difficult issue and any of you who work with children or adults in this area have my admiration and support.

The BBC coverage can be found here.    

New report on child sexual abuse

The University of Bedfordshire has helped write a major new report looking at gang-related child sexual abuse in the UK. The report, released today by the Office of the Children's Commissioner (OCC), details how vulnerable children can end up being abused within gang settings and what can be done to help prevent this awful situation continuing. The initial recommendations include effective data sharing and awareness raising of the issue.

The OCC report can be downloaded from here. In addition, there are various interviews and audio clips detailing how the BBC reported the story here.

Finally, you can read UoB's own account of the report's release by having a look here.
If your studies in any way relate to issues of criminology or child protection I do urge you to take a look at what UoB, in some cases your own lecturers, have helped to produce. Thanks.