Source: CSA Centre

Date published: 07 March 2025

The Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse (CSA Centre) has published a report looking at how agencies identify and respond to child sexual abuse in England and Wales. The report sets out data from local authorities, criminal justice agencies and sexual assault referral services, focusing on the recorded cases of child sexual abuse that professionals identified and responded to in 2023/24. The analysis highlights the under-identification of child sexual abuse and examines the gap between the prevalence of child sexual abuse and agency-recorded cases. The report calls for improvements in the consistency and quality of agency data and for a national prevalence survey on the current scale and nature of child sexual abuse in England and Wales.

Read the report: Child sexual abuse in 2023/24: trends in official data  

See also on NSPCC Learning 
> Protecting children from sexual abuse

Source: NSPCC Learning
Date: 28 January 2025

Childline has launched a new campaign, Behind the Screen, raising awareness of the sexually coerced extortion of boys and young men. Sexually coerced extortion or ‘sextortion’ is a form of online blackmail involving a threat to share intimate or explicit images or videos to extort money or get someone to do something against their will. The campaign resources include a new film aimed at young people which involves an AI generated image challenge and a guide for professionals which looks at what sexually coerced extortion is and how to support young people.

Find out more: Childline: Our latest campaign - Behind the Screen  
Watch the film: Leng or liar? Can you spot the fake? 

See also on NSPCC Learning
> Young people’s experiences of online sexual extortion or ‘sextortion’

Source: DfE and Action for Children
Date: 08 January 2025

The Department for Education (DfE) has published a press release on the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill being debated in Parliament. The press release outlines how measures proposed in the Bill will help protect children and young people from exploitation, grooming and abuse in England. The Children’s Charities Coalition, made up of five charities including the NSPCC, has published a response to the Bill. 

Read the DfE press release: Children’s bill to keep children safe from exploitation 
Read the Bill: Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill 
Read the Children's Charities Coalition response: CEOs from the Children’s Charities Coalition respond to The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill