How many sexual offences against children were recorded by the police in the UK in 2015/16

24,000

34,000

44,000

54,000

3

The answer is that there were 54,000 sexual offences against children recorded by the police in the UK in 2015/16. If you consider that this is under reported then it is clear that the problem is significant.

Children with a disability suffer sexual abuse

less than other children

about the same as other children

twice as likely

three times as likely

3

The answer is that children with a disability are three times as likely to suffer sexual abuse than other children. Some disabled children have difficulty reporting concerns or abuse. Many of the ways open to children, such as telephone helplines, are not accessible to all disabled children.

Where is child sexual abuse most likely to happen?

in the home of the child

near a school

in woodland areas

in the street

0

The answer is that child sexual abuse is most likely to happen in the home of the child. It is often assumed that children are mostly at risk from a stranger whereas the truth is that the greatest risk is within their own home or the home of the abuser.

what percentage of child sexual abuse is reported to the police?

around 10%

around 20%

around 50%

around 80%

1

The answer is that around 20% of child sexual abuse is reported to the authorities. There are many possible reasons why children don't report sexual abuse including that they have felt ashamed or embarrassed, they weren't sure how to talk about it or they were worried about how other people might respond.

how many children suffer sexual abuse before the age of 18?

1 in 100

1 in 50

1 in 6

1 in 10

2

the answer is that 1 in 6 children in the UK suffer sexual abuse before the age of 18. There are a number of different sources of information, including data from services which work with children and research into children's and adults' self-reported experiences of abuse, which help build up a picture of the scale of abuse. To put this in some more context, the last national census reported that there were 1,031,761 children (under 18 years old) in Scotland

how many children know their abusers?

20%

40%

50%

90%

3

The answer is that 90% of children who are sexually abused know their abuser. In almost all cases of child sexual abuse, the child knows the abuser. This might be someone who the child trusts or loves or is dependent on for care. Children may also be abused by strangers though this is relatively rare.

what percentage of sexual abuse is committed by children?

5%

10%

25%

30%

3

The answer is that around 30% of child sexual abuse is committed by other children. Few people realise that other children can sometimes present a risk of sexual abuse to another child.

Sexual images of children or child pornography is illegal if the person appears to be under

14

16

18

21

2

The answer is that if the image appears to be of a person under the age of 18 years then it will be a criminal offence. Many people wrongly believe that the age is 16.

How many children who are sexually abused by an adult do not tell anyone?

1 in 10

1 in 5

1 in 3

half

2

The answer is that 1 in 3 children who are sexually abused by an adult do not tell anyone.Many children do not tell anyone about the abuse at the time because they are scared of the consequences or because they are unsure who to tell or how to tell someone. More people will disclose abuse during research because they are able to do so anonymously and confidentially, without worrying about an investigation from the authorities or the effect on their family.

How many internet users are children?

1 in 3

1 in 4

1 in 5

1 in 6

0

The answer is that around 1 in 3 of all users of the internet are children. We also know from 2018 research in the UK, 23.6% of young people experienced an adult they do not know in real life trying to contact them over a site, app or game.