The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has released the research report, Help-seeking needs and gaps for preventing child abuse, examining the help-seeking behaviours and service needs of a range of target groups, with a focus on individuals concerned that they or someone they know may sexually harm or abuse a child. As part of the Royal Commission’s research and policy program to inform its recommendations, this report focuses on the research theme of prevention (i.e. How can child sexual abuse in institutions be prevented?).
The report finds that there are limited programs and services focussed on preventing abuse compared to those focussed on survivor support, and services that do exist are not well coordinated and have under-evaluated outcomes. The report also includes challenges described by the target groups to accessing information and support about preventing child sexual abuse, including recognising issues, having a knowledge and awareness of services, and service availability. Individuals with problematic sexual thoughts also fear being reported or persecuted, preventing them from accessing services. Challenges faced by service providers are also identified, including recruiting and retaining staff, costs of staff training and regular supervision, funding, and organisational awareness and profiles to better reach target groups.