1. We have discovered that someone in our church has sexually abused one of the children but the parents don't want us to go to the authorities; they would sooner we dealt with it within the church to avoid more traumas. What do you think?
Although it is a difficult decision to have to make, your child protection policy should state clearly that all cases of alleged sexual abuse must be reported to Social Services/Police so that they can be properly investigated. These authorities have a duty to consider the ‘best interests of the child', taking into account all the circumstances surrounding the allegation. A prosecution will not necessarily follow. Churches must be very careful to avoid appearing to ‘cover-up' what may be a serious criminal offence. Many adults in contact with CCPAS who were abused as children, feel that they were denied justice by a church cover-up and in so doing colluded with the abuser. For some it has also undermined their faith and their trust in the church. In not taking action, this child and others could continue to be abused. Legal proceedings by the young person who has alleged the abuse might also ensue on the grounds that the church has been negligent.
2. We have received information that would suggest a girl under 16 is having a sexual relationship with another young person of about the same age. What should we do?
It is always difficult in the situation that you describe to instigate child protection procedures, especially when the girl has not made any allegation that she was not a willing party. You might speak to the people involved. You could also consider what you can do generally in regard to your teaching programme on appropriate relationships.
3. I'm sometimes sent unsolicited emails offering access to porn and indecent images of children. I block the sender but what else can I do?
You can copy the message in full to abuse@isp . Once this has been done delete the message. You could also consider contacting the Internet Watch Foundation helpline on 0845 600 8844 or at www.iwf.org.uk.
4. You say that false allegations of abuse are rare. Teachers feel that children are very street-wise and make allegations to avoid being in trouble. Are such allegations really more common now?
The sort of allegations that might readily be made against teachers are not usually the sort that need to be reported to the statutory child protection authorities. Child abuse in the context we are talking about relates to the treatment of a child which could cause “significant harm”. An allegation from a child about a teacher often results from a teacher, for example, tapping a child on the shoulder to get their attention or maybe appropriately restraining them. This type of complaint will need to be investigated by the school. The teacher may be found to have acted reasonably but if their actions have been considered inappropriate, disciplinary action may follow. These are not matters that would necessarily be reported to the child protection agencies. However, if a child were to make a specific allegation of serious abuse (physical, sexual or otherwise), then this is an entirely different matter and would need to be investigated properly by the statutory authorities. The purpose of any investigation is to establish the truth and if the children/young people know that any allegation will be taken seriously and thoroughly investigated there is less likelihood a false allegation will be made. In these circumstances it may be helpful to consider why a child would want to make such an allegation and go through the investigation process (painful interviews etc) if there is no basis of truth.
Return to FAQ's main page.
Frequently Asked Questions - Abuse