Publications & Resources

Our ‘Key messages from research’ papers aim to provide succinct, relevant information for frontline practitioners and commissioners. They bring together the most up-to-date research into an accessible overview, supporting confident provision of the best possible responses to child sexual abuse. This paper was updated in 2023.

This review by the Connect Centre for International Research on Interpersonal Violence, commissioned by the CSA Centre, was produced to inform its work on improving data currently collected in England and Wales. This study looks at differences in self-report survey methodologies to research rates of victimisation and perpetration.

This briefing reflects on the learning from a series of five scoping studies commissioned by the CSA Centre concerning perpetrators of child sexual exploitation, and sets out how the CSA Centre’s next steps will build on this work.

The first report in the Child sexual exploitation perpetrators research programme. This report investigates the backgrounds of young people identified for child sexual exploitation concerns as perpetrators, the nature and range of their sexual behaviours, and the range of victims targeted. It was written by Simon Hackett, Durham University, and Stephen Smith, Durham Constabulary.

The second report in the Child sexual exploitation perpetrators research programme. The report investigates the characteristics of those who commit child sexual abuse and identify the nature and dynamics of their behaviours, their motivations and the way they target and exploit their victims.

The third report in the Child sexual exploitation perpetrators research programme. The report investigates the characteristics of those who commit child sexual exploitation, and identifies the nature and dynamics of their behaviours, their motivations and the way they target and exploit their victims.

The fourth report in the Child sexual exploitation perpetrators research programme. This report ascertains whether any current interventions exist specifically for adult male perpetrators of child sexual exploitation involving physical contact, identifies areas of promising practice and any evidence of their effectiveness, gathers expert views on what an appropriate approach to an effective intervention for this group would be.

The fifth and final report in the Child sexual exploitation perpetrators research programme. This report sets out to improve knowledge of child sexual exploitation using technology and in online contexts. It does so using a literature review and enquiries to service providers in relation to existing interventions, an online survey of experts and stakeholders, and in-depth interviews drawn from the survey participants.

This report uses interviews with commissioners, commissioning partners, service providers and local practitioner experts across the five local authority areas to explore the ‘who, what, why and how’ of commissioning practice for child sexual abuse work. Highlighting current strengths and weaknesses in current work, it also reveals the support that commissioners would like to receive.

A study by NatCen Social Research for the CSA Centre to help build an understanding of what night-time economy workers currently know and do about child sexual abuse and exploitation. The report gives the results of an online survey responded to by self-defined night-time economy workers in environments - including restaurants, bars, shops, public transport and emergency services - and makes recommendations for those who develop and deliver training and campaigns.