Child sexual abuse: what the data tells us about perpetrators and victims

The UK government has announced plans to make it a crime not to report child abuse. As part of this, the prime minister, Rishi Sunak, has vowed to “stamp out” grooming gangs who perpetuate child exploitation. While some child sexual abuse is perpetrated by gangs, evidence indicates that this is a small percentage of the whole.

Discussion of group-based child sexual exploitation often references the high-profile cases in Rotherham, Rochdale and Telford. Notably, the victims in these cases were of adolescent age. Portraying these cases as the typical child sexual abuse case overlooks abuse that happens in the home, which is more of a risk for younger children and is more prevalent.