The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is carrying out important work to explore whether a UK-wide survey about child abuse could be carried out in the future, and have asked the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) to find out how people feel about this. NatCen is contacting organisations that support children (aged 11+), young adults (18-25) and/or parents and guardians in relation to child abuse, and would like your help in sharing information about the research and invite people to take part and share their views.

The research is being carried out to inform decisions by the ONS on whether and how to conduct a survey about child abuse in the future, given the potential challenges in asking young people about this sensitive topic. If delivered successfully, such a survey could fill a significant gap in existing evidence by providing robust information on the scale and nature of child abuse across the UK. This could inform policy and practice to help target prevention activities, enhance support for victims and survivors, and ultimately reduce the prevalence of abuse.

It is really important that the needs of young people who have experienced abuse and their families are carefully considered and factored into whether and how a future survey would be administered. To develop a rounded understanding of key considerations, benefits, and challenges from their perspectives, NatCen will be carrying out a small number of interviews with children and young adults with known experience of abuse in childhood, and small focus groups with parents/guardians of such children. These discussions can take place online or in-person, and will explore topics including how children and young adults could best be included in a survey; key ethical considerations; and support that would need to be put in place. Taking part is a good opportunity for young people and parents to share their views and shape future data collection on this very important issue; participants will not be asked to discuss any experiences they may themselves have had in relation to abuse.

It would be great to hear if you might be in a position to share information about the research and, with their permission, put NatCen in touch with any of the following groups:

1. Young adults (aged 18-25) who experienced abuse as a child;

2. Children (aged 11 and older) who have experienced abuse non-recently; and

3. Parents of children (aged 11-18) who have experienced abuse.

If this may be something you could support, please contact the NatCen research team by emailing [email protected]. For more information about the research, please visit www.natcen.ac.uk/feasibility