A review into group-based child sexual abuse and exploitation and child criminal exploitation has highlighted challenges with the way key organisations deal with the scale, prevalence, characteristics, and threat of group-based harm.
The review, led by the Care Inspectorate and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS) with Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education in Scotland (HMIE), looked at the issues of group-based child sexual abuse and exploitation and child criminal exploitation in Scotland.
The authors of the study, carried out at the direction of the Scottish Government, said there was a lack of accurate national data relating to group-based harms.
The report acknowledges that there is no nationally agreed definition of group-based harms meaning existing reporting arrangements were primarily focused on individual incidents of harm.
The absence of a national definition, consistent data collection and specific reporting requirements means neither partnerships nor national bodies can accurately determine the scale, prevalence, characteristics or threat posed by group-based child sexual abuse, exploitation or criminal exploitation.
The report found: “As a result, there is no reliable picture across Scotland of these types of harms.”
The work has highlighted the key challenges facing efforts to tackle these harms. However, partnerships involved in the work have already begun identifying areas for improvement at a local level to strengthen their understanding of exploitation risks and support more effective strategic oversight and decision-making.
The report makes a series of recommendations. It says the Scottish Government, in partnership with stakeholders across the sector, should: