Number of children reporting sex abuse by women grows

November 9, 2009 by Shawn Douglas
Filed under: News

The number of children calling the Childline service and reporting sexual abuse by women has more than doubled in the last five years.

The charity Childline has published information today revealing that phone calls by children reporting women who have sexually abused them make up nearly 25 percent of call volume, and that the number of reports has nearly doubled since 2003.

Childline stated that the statistics didn’t represent an actual rise in the amount of women who sexually abuse children, but rather they likely represent a breakdown of the stigma against reporting such cases.

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children’s Dr. Lisa Bunting, who has experience studying the issue, said that victims of sexual abuse by a woman are more prone to “internalizing” the experience.

“There is such an intense stigma in disclosing incidents of abuse by women. We get a lot of stigma with any type of sex abuse, but this is particularly the case in the participation of women.”

In an editorial in the Guardian, Childline president Esther Rantzen explained how Childline has for many years “specifically targeted boys” with the desire to “reassure them that it was not a sign of weakness to ask for help…”

“It does not only happen to girls, as many people believe. It happens to boys too,” said Rantzen.

This recognition has prompted Childline to encourage other child protection and offender management programs to revise their policy to better address female sex offenses. But ultimately, for those children that feel they have no place to turn, Childline wants to remind that silence isn’t the answer.

Rantzen wrote for the Guardian: “We know that sexual abuse can cause life-long damage if children are never able to disclose their suffering, so they are never protected and made safe. Which is why it is crucial that children are aware of ChildLine’s number (0800 1111) and know that it is free, confidential and does not show up on phone bills. And why it matters so much that all those who work with children and who come into daily contact with them ensure that they have access to the helpline or can make contact online at www.childline.org.uk. There is no other way that a child, isolated and desperate, can ask for help.”