Most child sexual abuse offences committed by 14-year-olds, figures reveal
Reports of sexual abuse against children in England and Wales have risen five-fold in the past ten years, as ITV News' Chloe Keedy reports
More than half of the reports of child sexual abuse in England and Wales in 2022 were made against people aged under 18, according to police figures.
Most child sexual abuse offences were committed by 14-year-olds, the report said.
There were 107,000 cases of child sexual abuse reported in 2022, analysis by the Vulnerability Knowledge and Practice Programme found, which is a 7.6% rise on the previous year and almost four times the figure from 10 years before.
One third of abuse came from within the family with at least 32% of cases stemming from online sexual abuse.
While online cases contribute to the 52% of abuse by children aged 10 to 18, the report says the “growing and concerning trend” also includes serious sexual assaults, including rape.
Wendy Hart, deputy director for child sexual abuse at the National Crime Agency, said: “With over half of reported crimes involving child on child abuse, there has never been a greater need for education is in this space.
“We know from our collective analysis that the severity of offending has increased, as have the complexities faced by law enforcement in tackling it."
The rise of artificial intelligence has also contributed to the problem, as hyper-realistic images and videos of abuse can easily be created and then distributed online.
Around 75% of child sexual abuse and exploitation cases are related to offences committed directly against children, around one in four relate to online indecent images.
The report said the rise in online abuse was “no doubt” partly due to the increase in smartphones and digital devices.
Reports of group-based offences, ranging from unorganised sharing of imagery to more complex, organised cases, accounts for 5% of reported abuse.
Ian Critchley, who leads the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) in tackling child abuse, said the priority must be preventing abuse.
“We must stop abuse happening, preventing the lifelong physical and mental harm it causes,” he said.
“Whilst policing has made significant developments in its approach to tackling child sexual abuse this analysis enables us to review current approaches, continually adapting and developing our service and ensuring that the voices of children and victims are at the heart of everything we do.”
If you or a child you know has experienced or witnessed an assault, contact 999 or call the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000.
There are also a number of charities that offer support to victims:
NSPCC - The charity offers help and support to all children and young people making current and non-recent disclosures of sexual harassment or abuse.
Childline - ChildLine is a counselling service for children and young people.
Rape Crisis (England and Wales) - The charity provides specialist information and support to all those affected by rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment and all other forms of sexual violence and abuse.
The Survivors Trust - Rape and sexual abuse can happen to anyone regardless of their age, gender, race, religion, culture or social status. The Survivors Trust offers support to those in need.
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