More than 100 young people committing child sex abuse in Lincolnshire
More than 100 offences of under-18s committing child sexual abuse were reported to Lincolnshire Police in the last three years.
Figures obtained by the NSPCC through the Freedom of Information Act revealed a total of 126 child sex abuse cases.
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More than 100 young people have committed sex abuse crimes on under-18s in the last three years, say the NSPCC
This is part of the England and Wales combined total of 5,028 during the same time period.
In some cases, older children are attacking younger ones, while in others, it is sexual abuse within a teenager relationship.
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There is also an increasing problem of sex crimes on the internet and mobile phones, including online grooming, harassment in chat rooms and 'sexting'.
Some children as young as five or six are even committing acts such as rape and other serious sexual assaults.
Nearly all the offenders, 98 per cent, were boys. And where the relationship was recorded, at least three out of five of the victims knew their abusers.
More than one-third of the offences were said to be committed by a family friend, and one in five times it was a family member.
The findings follow a report by probation inspectors last month which found that police, social workers and teachers were missing the warning signs that a child may sexually offend.
The NSPCC, which provides treatment to help reform children as young as five who exhibit signs of harmful sexual behaviour, is warning that easy access to indecent material could be leading to an increase in the number of children needing help.
Claire Lilley, policy advisor at the NSPCC, said: "We hope our findings will ring alarm bells with the authorities that this is a problem which needs urgent attention.
"In some cases older children are attacking younger ones and in other cases it's sexual violence within a teenage relationship. While more research needs to be done on this problem, we know that technology and easy access to sexual material is warping young people's views of what is 'normal' or acceptable behaviour.
"Children who are sexually abusive have often been victims of abuse, harm and trauma themselves. Exposure to this can make them think abusing someone or being sexually violent is ok.
"But evidence shows that most young people who receive behaviour changing treatment early on, such as that offered by the NSPCC, will not continue to sexually abuse others or grow into adult offenders.
"If we are to tackle this growing problem and protect young victims, more needs to be done to identify and treat children at risk of sexually offending. And we must do more to shield young people from an increasingly sexualised society."
Any adult worried about a child or in need of help and advice can contact the NSPCC's helpline on 0808 800 5000.
Children and young people can contact ChildLine on 0800 1111.
4 Comments
by bos75
Tuesday, March 05 2013, 1:08AM
“Firstly, and most importantly, the sexual abuse of children is wrong, wrong, wrong. It should never happen and should be punished to the fullest extent of the law.
That said, the article is about children abusing children. How much of this is "kids being kids"? Is it really abuse or what kids do experimenting and growing up playing doctors and nurses etc. There are lots of hearsay comments in the article that this or that may lead to something or another. Do 5 or 6 years olds really show "signs of harmful sexual behaviour" or are they just copying something they've seen? Maybe, of course, they shouldn't have seen it but that's another issue. Is their behaviour at age 5 sexually deviant when they don't actually know what they are doing or why?
I truely believe that some "normal" childhood exploratory behaviour is being labelled as deviant and criminal where it isn't. Of course, if it is really abusive and improper it should be dealt with and I'm sure in some cases it is.
There are some very serious and complicated issues the Echo have reported in a short article that go far beyond their ability to copy and paste a press release produced by somebody else.”
by MsHorncastle
Monday, March 04 2013, 11:23AM
“@by Echo_falls
You aren't so bright yourself - it's proofreader.
Oh dear!”
by MsHorncastle
Monday, March 04 2013, 11:17AM
“I was abused as a child between 2/3 and 11. I kept this a secret as do many children. I did not have NSPCC therapies or any counselling: I had CBT in my 40s. I survived and have neither abused anyone nor wished to do so. Yes, it is a fact that many abusers have themselves been abused. However, it is only a small percentage of survivors of childhood sexual abuse who go on to become abusers themselves. Do make this CLEAR in your reports!!!
Reports such as this make survivors of abuse struggle to let anyone know. I fear that people will view me as a potential paedophile! Haven't I suffered enough already?”
by Echo_falls
Monday, March 04 2013, 9:43AM
“"new their abusers". Oh dear, proof reader vacancy alert.
For the great unwashed, should read "knew". Honestly, it's not hard.”