The Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse (CSA Centre)

We are the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse. We want children to be able to live free from the threat and harm of sexual abuse. Our aim is to reduce the impact of child sexual abuse through improved prevention and better response. Who we are We are a multi-disciplinary team, funded by the Home Office, hosted by Barnardo’s and work closely with key partners from academic institutions, local authorities, health, education, police and the voluntary sector. However, we are independent and will challenge any barriers, assumptions, taboos and ways of working that prevent us from increasing our understanding and improving our approach to child sexual abuse. What we do To tackle child sexual abuse we must understand its causes, scope, scale and impact. We know a lot about child sexual abuse and have made progress in dealing with it, but there are still many gaps in our knowledge and understanding which limit how effectively we are tackling the issue. We bring about change by: ‣‣ Collating and analysing existing research, policy, practice and the real experiences of those affected, and filling the gaps we identify with new research, insights and analysis. ‣‣ Using that evidence and insight to develop new approaches and apply learning in practice. We recognise that expertise lies in many different places: in lived experiences, practice knowledge and academic research. Working alongside researchers, policy makers and practitioners, we ensure an evidence-informed approach is applied to better understanding and responding to child sexual abuse at both an operational and strategic level. You can follow us on Twitter @CSACentre or find out more at https://www.csacentre.org.uk/.