Ignorance is bliss? Gender and young people’s knowledge and views of services for those who have experienced child sexual abuse Dr Jane Ellis and Debra Allnock

Overview  Outline study  Findings from 2 focus groups  Consider some implications for services

The study Map current availability of services Evaluate their accessibility and approachability Consider provision in relation to identifiable demand and need Consult with cyp about existing services and type of services they want Consult with professionals

Methodology Phase 1: questionnaire to 508 eligible services, 173 respondents Phase 2: in-depth interviews with 21 service managers and 11 commissioners Phase 3: Two focus group with yp using vignettes

The young people  Two single-gender groups  Aged years  Racially mixed  Recruited through a participation project  Not known to be service users  Difficulty recruiting service users

Awareness and knowledge  Limited awareness and knowledge of local services;  Limited knowledge of what is abuse;  Identified ChildLine, NSPCC, police, social services, Connexions;  Some knew of local rape crisis centre and a mental health charity;

The issue of mental health  Did not identify CAMHS until asked  ‘Mental’ is stigmatising ‘If I had a story like one of these, I’d be put off by the word ‘mental’ because, well, there isn’t anything wrong with me, it’s other people’ (yw)  Different views on the impact of sexual abuse

Getting Information  A number of ways of advertising  Range of media  Perceptions of who targeted at mattered  All had a strong sense of being young people not children  Value of advertising?

Seeking help  Initial response is very important ‘… just somebody who believes them! It’s the most important thing’ (yw)  Initially from known people …  All professionals in universal services  But role not important  Respect, trust, power and authority  Cultural differences in relation to ‘family’  ‘I wouldn’t know what to do’ (yw)

Confidentiality and anonymity  Confidentiality very important  Lack of it would deter disclosure: ‘…if you told at school, they would have to tell the head teacher’ (ym)  Linked to losing control of the situation: ‘I personally, even if I was in danger, I may not want them to do anything until I said so’ (ym)  Understand there are limits

Diverse support and services  Felt choice was important: ‘need options’ (yw)  Recognised that ‘choice’ could be difficult for some: ‘…if you give someone a list of choices and they’re not confident, I would think ‘its too much for me’… At the same time, even though you need a choice, that person needs a mentor, or somebody to guide them through’ (yw)  Face-to-face, web forums,  Support from friends important

Gender issues (1)  Yw attuned to gender issues  Absent from ym’s discussion  Gender specific, gender sensitive services  Gender of staff mattered – women  Location of services

Gender issues (2)  Loss of masculinity ‘That’s why it needs to be treated sensitively with boys. From a masculinity aspect, they probably feel a loss of that  No references to shaping of femininity  Boys may find it harder to name abuse as abuse

Awareness raising and early intervention  Public education and school-based work  Not knowing or being confident to name experience as abuse: ‘not being able to actually define exactly what child abuse is’ (yw)  Parents need to be educated  Community issue – one young man

Work in schools  Cyp should be taught about abuse and where to get help: ‘So you need to start teaching this in schools at a young age. If it starts at 16 they would automatically know its wrong, and would probably tell someone’ (ym)  By specialist staff not teachers  ‘Some schools won’t let them in’ (ym)  Some children withdrawn

Some implications  Need for greater awareness raising and education for c/yp  Better training for professionals who may be first receiver of a disclosure  Awareness raising that is culturally and gender sensitive

Ignorance is not bliss  ‘Innocence and ignorance are vehicles for adult double standards: a child is ignorant if she doesn’t know what adults want her to know, but innocent if she doesn’t know what adults don’t want her to know.’ (Kitzinger,1997:169)