International Best Practice for Protecting Children from Child Sexual Abuse: Responding to Allegations of Child Sexual Abuse

The University of the Sunshine Coast’s Sexual Violence Research and Prevention Unit (SVRPU) was awarded funding to advise the Child Death Review Board on international best practice for protecting children from child sexual abuse using the latest practice, research and policy, globally. More specifically, the project sought to synthesise best practice research about responding to allegations of child sexual abuse and aimed to address four research questions: 1. What best practices exist for responding to allegations of child sexual abuse, including initial reporting, investigation, and the provision of victim support services? 2. How can police interviews, evidence handling, investigations and post- incident support be designed to prevent re-traumatisation and ensure appropriate care and support? 3. What methods are most effective in holding perpetrators accountable through prosecution, rehabilitation, and/or reintegration programs, and how can risks posed by known offenders be managed? 4. How do Australia’s practices for protecting children from sexual abuse compare with leading international models, and what lessons can be adapted to improve outcomes in the Australian context? A critical review with thematic analysis including international comparison was used to identify, analyse and synthesise issues associated with protecting children from sexual abuse. The critical review also integrated structures of a rapid review given the tight, three-month timeframe for completion. A wide range of sources were considered for inclusion in the review, including published articles, books and grey literature and Covidence was used for source collation and screening. There were 2,327 sources identified from the databases which underwent title and abstract screening and then 809 sources went through full-text screening, resulting in 441 sources included in the review. Following data identification and collation, data analysis and synthesis was undertaken thematically. Researchers used Covidence for data extraction and then further refined emerging themes to develop the key findings. Additional research was conducted, during the project write-up, where gaps in research results were identified. From the critical review, two key perspectives emerged in relation to responding to allegations: the victim-survivor and the perpetrator. Victim-survivor disclosure support related to how victim-survivors made disclosures, how those disclosures were responded to and what support should be provided during that disclosure phase. The perpetrator perspective considered accountability practices and initiatives enabling successful prosecution as well as rehabilitation and reintegration opportunities to address the risk which known perpetrators continue to pose to the community. Eight key findings related to victim-survivor and perpetrator perspectives are relevant.