What constitutes sexual abuse in social services?
Children who are put into care often seek refuge from abusive birth parents and neglectful families. Upon finding foster parents, these children deserve to be welcomed into a loving, safe space where they can thrive. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Sometimes, these host parents become foster parents because they recognise that these children in care are vulnerable, and so they apply to the role of foster parents to gain access to the child to exploit them further.
Nowadays, most children who are put into care are placed into foster families, however, around 60 years ago children were sent to public institutions known as children’s homes. Between the years of 1960-1990, an inquiry found that more than 700 children in south London care homes suffered cruelty and child sexual abuse. Occurring in five care homes across Lambeth, London, The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse found that abusers were able to infiltrate homes and the foster system. One survivor of this “culture of cover-up” recalls being raped at least 500 times by members of staff at the care facility. Consequently, such foster homes cease to represent care, but more sinisterly, violence and terror. This guide to sexual abuse in social services seeks to establish three types of abuse that may occur in such facilities.
Examples and signs of sexual abuse in social services
It is horrific to imagine child sexual abuse occurring in the social services sector however it does happen and understanding the warning signs could save a child’s life. There are two types of child sexual abuse: contact and non-contact. Contact sexual abuse is when an adult makes physical contact with a child. For example, touching a child’s genitals or private parts for sexual purposes, making a child touch someone else’s genitals or play sexual games, or putting objects or body parts (like fingers, tongue or penis) inside the vagina, in the mouth, or the anus of a child for sexual purposes is contact sexual abuse.
Non-contact sexual abuse is where a child is abused without being physically touched by an adult (in this case a foster parent/s). This can involve the perpetrator exposing children to indecent images or flashing themselves to a child. It can also include encouraging a child to watch or hear sexual acts or inappropriately watching a child use the bathroom. The warning signs of sexual abuse in social services can look like:
- An inappropriate understanding of sexual behaviour for the child’s age
- A sexually transmitted infection or pregnancy
- Itching in the genital area
- Blood in the child’s underwear
- The child makes a statement about the abuse
- Inappropriate sexual contact with other children at school
How we can help
Here at Abuse Claims UK, we understand that sexual abuse is a sensitive and painful issue to disclose to a stranger. That’s why our team consists of friendly, empathetic solicitors who seek to help clients in a non-judgemental environment. We will hold your hand along the way as we seek justice for the barbaric abuse that you have experienced, whether it be a recent or historic case of child sexual abuse. Abuse compensation will never make up for what has happened, but it can alleviate some of the financial pressure of expensive aftercare such as therapy.
Please call 0151 242 5111 to find out more or for free, confidential advice.