“We welcome the Prime Minister’s announcement of a national inquiry into child sexual exploitation in England and Wales. We need to uncover and address the lessons that need to be learned when it comes to safeguarding and supporting vulnerable children and young people; especially those who are victims of sexual assault and abuse.
The mental health impact of not being believed
“People tend to think of the need for physical safety when they hear the word ‘abuse’. Yet instilling a fear of not being believed is one of the most common and insidious ways that perpetrators exert control over their victims. Perpetrators will repeatedly tell and make their victims feel that they are unworthy, not credible, unloved, unbelievable and more. This fear of not being believable combined with feelings of low self-worth often remain long after abuse has ended, having a significant impact on people who were already vulnerable to begin with. And this is why the institutions and professionals there to protect and support victims and survivors must do a better job of recognising and believing all victims, especially children and young people, the first time they report abuse.
There is no ‘perfect victim’ or survivor
“It is disappointing that survivors are still not seen, heard or believed unless they fit a certain ‘type’ of victim. Women come to us after years of failing to recognise themselves as victims or survivors – again, because they don’t fit a stereotype of what is considered a survivor, or their abuse wasn’t the same as that portrayed on TV and in the news. Similarly, they have often struggled to convince others, be they friends, co-workers, or authorities responsible for justice and safeguarding, of the abuse they have endured, and the lasting impact it has on them physically, practically, emotionally, and psychologically.
The need for a trauma-informed lens
“Traumatic experiences at any age and especially in people so young can have a profound impact on the rest of a person’s life and indeed how they live that life. Not being believed and not feeling that you are valued only compounds that trauma.
“This is exactly why we use a trauma-informed approach to our work with survivors. It is also why we supported recommendations for training in this for criminal justice professionals, and a more trauma-informed approach across the system, in the recent Independent Sentencing Review Report.
“We must be better at protecting our vulnerable people and do better supporting them when they do report abuse, so we can try and prevent that abuse from affecting their lives moving forward.”
Read Baroness Casey’s full report and recommendations here.
Read our statement on the Independent Sentencing Review Report here.
