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Resolution 1980 (2014) Final version
Increasing the reporting of suspected sexual abuse of children
1. Sexual abuse is the most hidden
and under-reported form of violence against children. Most children who
suffer sexual abuse do so at the hands of their parents, extended
family members, neighbours or family friends. Only very few of those
children report the offences themselves, often due to fear of the
consequences. Similarly, for obvious reasons, very few perpetrators
come forward and seek assistance.
2. Consequently, third parties – in particular professionals
working with children – play a key role in breaking the cycle of
violence that most children endure in silence, by detecting signs
of sexual abuse and reporting it to the competent authorities.
3. The Parliamentary Assembly recalls that the best interest
of the child should be given the primary consideration in all measures
concerning the safety and well-being of children. Having examined
the different arguments for and against both voluntary and mandatory
reporting laws, the Assembly is not convinced that one has proved
to be more effective than the other in terms of protecting children
against abuse.
4. The Assembly notes that, irrespective of whether the system
in place for reporting is mandatory or voluntary, many cases of
child abuse, including sexual abuse, remain hidden, either because
they are undetected or because they are detected but not reported.
Under-reporting therefore represents one of the main challenges
to child protection systems.
5. While the lack of public and professional awareness is the
main reason why many abuse cases remain totally undetected, the
conscious decision not to report suspected abuse has several explanations,
depending on whether it concerns professionals working with children
or ordinary citizens. The most common reasons given by professionals
for not reporting include fear of misdiagnosis, fear of retaliation
by members of the child’s family or by the alleged perpetrator,
concern for safeguarding the links between the child and the family, lack
of confidence in the child protection system and fear of the consequences
of violating confidentiality rules.
6. Ordinary citizens may also be reluctant to report suspected
abuse because they do not want to interfere in someone else’s family,
they fear that their identity will be discovered by the suspected
abuser or simply because they think reporting will make no difference
or lead to the re-victimisation of the child.
7. The Assembly notes that reporting of child sexual abuse involves
additional complications due to the difficulty in detecting it,
since, unlike physical abuse, it does not always involve bodily
contact and physical harm. It also notes that it is rare for children
to make false allegations of sexual abuse. Therefore, for professionals
working with children, it is crucial to learn how to recognise behavioural
and psychological changes that may result from sexual abuse, to
identify possible allegations of sexual abuse by children themselves
and to properly react to such allegations.
8. In view of the above, and irrespective of the reporting system
in place at national level, the Assembly calls on the Council of
Europe member States to create a framework which encourages all
professionals working with children and all citizens to report suspected
sexual abuse. To that end, member States should:
8.1. organise information campaigns
aimed at raising public awareness of the nature and extent of child
sexual abuse, its consequences for the victims and for society as
a whole; these campaigns should also give guidance on what to do
when such abuse is suspected;
8.2. enable professionals to properly identify and assist child
victims of sexual abuse and motivate them in their role of intervening
in situations of abuse by:
8.2.1. including the subject
of child sexual abuse in their curricula, in particular for health
and education professionals as well as sports coaches;
8.2.2. developing specific training and continuous education
programmes on the subject of child sexual abuse, including the relevant
legal framework;
8.2.3. encouraging professionals themselves to set up reporting
rules to follow when suspecting child sexual abuse;
8.3. build trust in the child protection system by ensuring
that:
8.3.1. reports of suspected sexual abuse are investigated
and pursued quickly, fairly and effectively;
8.3.2. the investigation and the judicial process that may follow
reporting are conducted in a child-sensitive manner and do not subject
the child victim to further harm;
8.3.3. the removal of children from their families as a result
of reporting is an exceptional measure;
8.3.4. feedback is provided to those who report suspicions of
abuse as far as possible;
8.4. provide legal protection for those who report suspicions
of child sexual abuse in good faith, by:
8.4.1. limiting
the duty of confidentiality of professionals in such cases;
8.4.2. adopting rules to protect the identity of those who report.