Abuse Children Left ‘Worthless, Trapped, Numb And Ashamed’

More than four children a day in Scotland called a national helpline for advice about sex abuse, according to a new report. Research into calls to ChildLine Scotland in 2003-04 found that 3021 concerned sexual abuse, 93% of which related to family members or friends. A fifth of abusers were female.

The average age of callers was 13, but some calls on sexual abuse were from children as young as nine. In a third of cases where children reported the abuse to someone close to them, such as their mother, they were not believed.

One nine-year-old told Childline staff: “I told mum, but she didn’t believe mesaid dad wouldn’t do anything like that.” Callers also reported being bullied, blackmailed or assaulted as part of the abuse, to force them to take part or to prevent them from reporting it.

Often, where children tried to resist, the abuse got worse – one 13-year-old told Childline: “Dad says he will batter me tonight if I don’t have sex with him.” In other cases, abusers told children what was happening was normal, which sometimes allowed it to continue for several years because children did not know any different.

Abuse left children “ashamed, disturbed, trapped, worthless and numb”. The most common feelings were fear and anxiety. Researchers from Edinburgh University’s centre for research on families and relationships, who conducted the study, funded by the Scottish Executive, called for better services to help those being sexually abused and a greater awareness that most abuse is perpetrated by family and friends.

“Only a small percentage of the children who call Childline about sexual abuse talk about being abused by strangers. The public discourse around evil paedophiles – and continued silence on familial abuse – must inevitably make it more difficult for children to understand and cope,” the report concludes. There is a burgeoning need for greater social recognition of abuse perpetrated by people children know and love.”

It went on to call for more awareness of sexual abuse by females, although it was still in a minority of cases. “This is particularly important since a major barrier to disclosing sexual abuse described by young people is the fear of not being believed,” the report adds.

The research, which looked at 14,000 calls, showed that more than 40% of those that were about sexual health were seeking basic information on the facts of life. Calls relating to pregnancies amounted to 19% while calls about sexually transmitted infections were minimal.

Elinor Newall, one of the researchers, said: “The study shows children are very concerned about being normal’ and accepted by others. For example, being over or under-developed, too sexually experienced or not experienced enough or of the wrong’ sexuality – that causes them to feel worried, embarrassed and ashamed which can stop young people seeking the support they need.”

As the report was published, the executive announced that 800 teachers across Scotland would be given sex education training under a £630,000 initiative.

Hugh Henry, Education Minister, said curriculum body Learning and Teaching Scotland and NHS Health Scotland would together develop a programme of professional development for teachers in sex and relationships. “It is important that teachers are comfortable dealing with the wide range of issues raised during delivery of these programmes,” he said.