We hope you are keeping well in these uncertain times. Since our last newsletter, we have published a further
research report and have announced a new research project. We are pleased to share details of these projects
with you in this edition of our newsletter.

Support Services for Victims and Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse

We commissioned Broome|Gekoski in collaboration with the University of Hertfordshire to conduct research into victims and
survivors’ experiences of support services. The sample was unique as respondents were recruited through the Crime Survey of
England and Wales, and comprised a large number of people who had not previously accessed support services. This was evident
in the findings, with nearly three quarters of survivors reporting not having accessed any support services and just over a quarter
having received some form of support, advice or treatment due to their experience of child sexual abuse.
The vast majority of survivors faced at least one barrier to access, with survivors citing personal, financial and community
challenges which had stopped, delayed or discouraged them from accessing support. Whilst many participants noted that services
are better now than they were in the past, almost half felt that they currently had unmet needs linked to their experience of child
sexual abuse.
The full report can be found here

Fay Maxted, member of the Inquiry’s Victims and Survivors Consultative Panel, said:

“I can’t overstate the importance of this research, and the main question raised by the Inquiry’s Victims and Survivors Forum
reflects this: Why isn’t support available for those who need it and for aslong as they need it?”
“The impact of child sexual abuse can affect all aspects of a survivor’s life, often affecting their family members and partners too;
it’s essential that availability and quality of services reflects this.”