Over 640 victims and survivors of child sexual abuse and exploitation in the UK have shared their stories in a global effort to raise awareness about the realities of sexual violence against children, the challenges of disclosure and recovery, and its enduring impact on their lives.
Their voices are amplified through a powerful report published by the Finnish child-rights organisation Protect Children in collaboration with the International Policing and Public Protection Research Institute (IPPPRI) , part of Anglia Ruskin University in England.
At IPPPRI25 - the research institute's annual conference dedicated to tackling online harms - on Monday, 19 May, Protect Children is publishing insights from 643 victims and survivors of childhood sexual violence perpetrated in the UK. The responses have been analysed by researchers from IPPPRI .
The groundbreaking report reveals unprecedented information about crimes of sexual violence against children in the UK, shedding light on the critical gaps in the local systems for preventing child sexual abuse and exploitation, and for supporting those affected.
The evidence was collected through an innovative Global Our Voice Survivor Survey that aims to hear and amplify the long-silenced voices and wisdom of those who endured sexual violence in childhood. Utilising a novel methodology, the survey has successfully reached out to over 23,000 victims and survivors worldwide.
Professor Samantha Lundrigan , Director of IPPPRI at Anglia Ruskin University, said: "Today at IPPPRI25, we are presenting, together with Protect Children, important findings focused on how research can inform real-world practice in responding to child sexual abuse and exploitation globally. We must understand the systemic factors that enable sexual violence against children so that we can act."
Despite the severe and long-lasting impacts of child sexual abuse and exploitation, more than half of victims and survivors in the UK reported not receiving any support.
Lea Kamitz , Dawes Postdoctoral Research Fellow at IPPPRI, Anglia Ruskin University, said: "Much of the abuse described by the UK respondents happened decades ago and we know that the nature of child sexual abuse has changed, with so many young people now being victimised online. We must recognise the harm suffered by victims and survivors and ensure access to long-term support services."
The presenting researchers unveil a concerning lack of response to child sexual abuse in the UK. Despite severe and long-lasting emotional, physical, and psychological impacts, more than half of survivors have not received any support to cope with these. The results were compared between the Five Eyes countries*, revealing that survivors in the UK were the least likely to receive support.
Another distressing insight highlights that over a half of the surveyed victims and survivors were first subject to sexual violence when they were 3 to 9 years old. Furthermore, victims and survivors reported suffering multiple forms of sexual abuse during their childhood ranging from inappropriate touching while clothed to the most severe forms of sexual abuse and exploitation.
Nine out of 10 survivors said that the perpetrator was someone they knew from before, with almost half reporting the perpetrator lived in the same household.
Executive Director of Protect Children, Nina Vaaranen-Valkonen, who has a lifetime of experience working as a psychotherapist with survivors of childhood sexual violence, said: "The voices of survivors are a resounding call to action.
"I have learned from my patients that disclosure and healing from child sexual abuse is an ongoing and often invisible struggle and for many, simply surviving is an act of immense strength – and that truth demands our support, our compassion, and sustained change."
The researchers emphasised that 21% of survivors have never disclosed the abuse. Childhood sexual violence is already a very hidden form of criminality and it is further complicated by the challenges of disclosure. The disclosure may take up years or even decades – the striking proportion of two in five victims and survivors in the UK shared that it took them more than 21 years.
The insights from survivors form a call to action, urging communities, policymakers, and societies worldwide to recognise their pain and resilience and to come together in the mission to end child sexual abuse and exploitation.
One survivor of childhood sexual violence in the UK, who took part in the Global Our Voice Survivor Survey, said: "I feel a bit sad for the child I was, but I am very glad to be able to give evidence of my experience to help inform others and build knowledge internationally about sexual abuse of children."
Eva Díaz Bethencourt, Specialist and Human Rights Lawyer at Protect Children, said: "We cannot continue to fail victims and survivors seeking justice and support; we must ensure they receive the recognition, reparation, and support they deserve. We cannot undo the damage that has already been done, but we must ensure that no more children have to suffer further violence. All children should live a childhood free from any form of abuse."
The powerful report presented by Protect Children and IPPPRI underscores the urgent need for stronger trauma-informed prevention and response systems in the UK. The full report is available here: https://www.suojellaanlapsia.fi/en/post/our-voice-survivors-in-the-uk
* The Global Our Voice Survivor Survey was developed by Protect Children, and the data analysis of the report "Our Voice Survivors in the UK: Experiences of Victims and Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation", was conducted in collaboration with IPPPRI. The report analyses the data collected from 643 respondents who suffered childhood sexual abuse in the UK and 624 in other Five Eyes countries (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, US). The Five Eyes alliance is an intelligence-sharing partnership among these nations, which also collaborates closely in law enforcement and child protection efforts.
