The signs of child abuse are not always obvious, and some signs on their own may not indicate that a child is being sexually abused, and so it is often about professionals being able to build up a cumulative picture of their concerns. Professionals should also build a picture of signs and indicators of a suspected perpetrator of child sexual abuse.

There is helpful template for recording signs and indicators of possible abuse from the Centre of Excellence on Child Sexual Abuse.

Signs that there may be something concerning happening in a child’s life include:

• unexplained changes in behaviour or personality
• becoming withdrawn or unusual silences
• seeming anxious
• becoming uncharacteristically aggressive
• lacks social skills and has few friends if any
• poor bond or relationship with a parent
• knowledge of adult issues or language inappropriate for their age
• running away or going missing
• always choosing to wear clothes which cover their body.
• bruising or swelling near genitals
• blood on sheets or undergarments
• refusal to bathe or bathing excessively
• sleep disturbances

These signs do not necessarily mean that a child is being abused, there could be other things happening in their life which are affecting their behaviour, so it is important we provide children with opportunities to talk about their home life. You should obtain a good understanding of relationships the child has with those that are in the home, who visit, or they visit regularly or people who might look after them or they stay with. To assess the behaviours and understand the level of risk to a child or young person you can utilise the Brook Traffic Light Tool. This tool helps practitioners assess what would be deemed to be healthy sexual development and would need to be considered against children’s developmental and cultural milestones. The Centre of Expertise for Child Sexual Abuse have also helpfully designed a signs and indicators template for identifying and recording concerns of child sexual abuse. It is important to stress that these tools should be used to inform professional decision-making, rather than determine it.

Although as practitioners it might seem obvious to us that it is never the child’s fault they were sexually abused, it is important to reiterate this with the child, and explain that they are not in trouble. For some children who have been groomed it is likely the perpetrator will have told them that it was because they (the child) wanted the abuse to happen, or that their family/non abusing parent will not believe them, or it is their fault. All these issues will impact on children telling a professional or trusted adult about the abuse they are experiencing and will be important to remember when supporting a child who you believe may have been sexually abused or has told you that they have been. There are practice considerations/guidance issued further on in the toolkit for those working with children who tell a professional that they have been abused and then later say that nothing happened, which may be another effect of grooming.

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