Other services and agencies are having to intervene
Children suffering sexual abuse in Scotland are going without help because of a lack of specialist services.
Research by NSPCC Scotland, published today, shows that despite greater emphasis on sex abuse and several high-profile abuse cases reaching the courts, access to recovery services remains patchy and fragmented.
Figures from Police Scotland show that more than 900 sexual crimes against children under the age of 13, including rape and sexual assault, were reported to the force last year (2016-17).
However, the NSPCC has found that more than half of the 17 local authority areas included in the latest research have no specialist service for children of primary school age who need help, while 15 of the 17 have no service for children aged under five years.
Matt Forde, national head of NSPCC Scotland, said it shows children are being failed.
“We’ve seen recently how difficult it is for adults to come forward and report experiences of sexual abuse,” he said. “Think how much harder it is then for children, especially if their abuser is in their own family.
“Only one in eight cases of child sexual abuse are thought to come to the attention of agencies so these young people we know of are just the tip of the iceberg. Abused children suffer terribly and we must make sure they get the support they need.
“It is concerning how little improvement there has been in services in the past 10 years.
"There has been a huge amount of national attention to child sexual exploitation, online grooming and other types of abuse, which is important, but the lack of help available on the ground to help children recover, especially for younger children and children with disabilities, is a serious issue.”
The charity wants a multidisciplinary children’s house model, where support for children’s psychological and emotional recovery following sexual abuse is available along with forensic services and facilities to help them give the best evidence to secure justice.
It is concerning how little improvement there has been in services in the past 10 years - Matt Forde
The right of every child to access direct and specialist help to aid their physical, psychological and emotional recovery following abuse is enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and supported by the Scottish Government’s Children and Young People’s Act.
One young person who was helped by Rape Crisis Scotland’s Rosey Project in Glasgow said: “Support from the centre has shown me that what I feel and how I feel it is both normal and justified, without the support I would still be lost.”
Rape Crisis Scotland director of operations, Sandie Barton, said: “Children and young people who have experienced sexual violence deserve access to trauma informed, specialist support and advocacy.”
