Summary of the impact

The research on which this case study is based has:

(1) Contributed significantly to raising awareness of child sexual abuse in sport within the international community, particularly in relation to the abuse of boys, and to the development of a European agenda for the prevention of sexual violence in sport;

(2) Enhanced the ability of the Rugby Football League (RFL) to meet its national obligations in relation to safeguarding children and established the first longitudinal evaluation which monitors the development of child protection and safeguarding in sport;

(3) Facilitated the RFLs engagement with the international sports and child welfare community.

Summary of the impact

Child protection policy and practice has largely ignored young people's experiences of child sexual exploitation (CSE) and peer-on-peer violence. Law enforcement and child protection responses are not integrated, resulting in oversimplified interpretations of young people's victimhood and criminality. As the only research centre in Europe exclusively targeting these problems, The International Centre: Researching Child Sexual Exploitation, Violence and Trafficking has had direct impact on:

• Policy: using research findings to create safeguarding tools for all English Local Safeguarding Children's Boards; evaluating service provision, actively informing Scottish, Irish and English government departments; advising The Council of Europe and Eurochild; attracting funding for CSE prevention in six European countries;
• Practice: actively working with four UK children's charities to prevent CSE; directing funding to CSE practitioners by coordinating over 23 funding trusts; running a `CSE research forum' which engages with over 500 practitioners and researchers,
• Sexually exploited young people: advocating child centred evidence practice-based interventions, promoting innovative child centred ethical research and integrating the voices of over 800 young people from the UK into policy and research agendas. Enabling victims of CSE to gain internships and employment, improving their assertiveness through media training and offering opportunities for skill development through creative art and film activities.

Summary of the impact

This impact case study is based on a body of research that has enhanced the assessment and treatment of female sexual offenders internationally. This clinical impact was underpinned by a series of unique qualitative and quantitative studies that led to the discovery of female sexual offenders' offence styles and cognitive characteristics. The work has resulted in the development of effective clinical practice training and guidelines. It has been used by professionals to enhance their assessment and treatment of female sexual offenders whose specific needs had not previously been identified.

Summary of the impact

Impact: Research defining the victim demographics and mode of online grooming led to the joint coordination of a G8 meeting and subsequent Declaration, formation of a Global Alliance and input into international sentencing procedures.

Significance: As a result of formal policy, legislative changes, and advice given to people who work with children, more child victims of online pornography are protected and supported; more perpetrators are identified, prosecuted and sentenced appropriately.

Beneficiaries: Vulnerable and abused children; governments and non-governmental organisations; teachers, youth and social workers; the police and judiciary.

Attribution: Quayle, UoE, led the underpinning research and was the main co-ordinator for expert content at the G8 and Global Alliance meetings.

Reach: Worldwide; 48 countries on five continents have committed to the goals of the Global Alliance. The work has informed legislative proposals and sentencing in USA, Japan and Russia. 80 million child pornography images were identified between 2002 and 2012.

Summary of the impact

Between 25% and 33% of all perpetrators of sexual abuse in the UK are children or young people. Policy and practice in relation to this group has been under-developed. The research detailed in this case study constitutes a body of work that has identified gaps in service delivery and has significantly advanced policy, training, treatment services, and assessment and intervention practices for this group of children and their families. The research findings have led to a shift across key service providers, including Barnardo's and NSPCC, away from adult sex offender approaches towards more child-centred and holistic interventions.

Summary of the impact

In Autumn 2011, Dr Stephen Bullivant was appointed Director of the European Society for Catholic Theology's research project into 'the nature, function and location of theology, with particular attention to the power of theology to overcome power abuse in Church and Society' (InSpiRe 2013), and with a special focus on the nature and causes of clerical sexual abuse.

Given the gravity and urgency of the topic, the project's 'impact aims' have been to engage two particular non-academic audiences: the Catholic hierarchy, and those involved in setting church policy regarding safeguarding and the handling of abuse allegations; and the wider Catholic public (i.e., the Church as a whole). Its intention is to introduce both to the wealth of academic research being conducted in this area, and from which the Church can and must learn.

Although the research project was only recently concluded — and several of the main outputs have yet to appear — a significant amount of both kinds of impact has, even at this very early stage, already occurred. Since the project launch in September 2012, major figures from the world of Catholic safeguarding, at both national and international levels have been involved in various ways. Most notably, the Vatican's own chief prosecutor of abuse allegations has described the project as constituting 'an important moment to move from the hierarchy to the theologians' for proper reflection 'on this most tragic wound in the Church and in society' (Vatican Radio 2012a; 2012b; see section 4, below). The project has also received notable coverage from the international Catholic media.

Summary of the impact

Responding to the crisis in confidence amongst clinicians involved in child protection, Cardiff University developed the world's first research programme to provide the scientific basis for more reliable clinical assessments of child abuse and neglect. The programme, which involves 21 systematic reviews (updated annually) and related primary studies, has directly informed five national clinical guidelines, the National Child Protection training program and the first NICE guidance on child maltreatment. Through the Core-Info website, the evidence base created by the Cardiff team is accessed each year by 100,000 users. Key messages from their research have been published in a series of Core-Info leaflets which have reached more than 250,000 allied professionals nationally. The Cardiff research informs standardised national clinical practice, training and legal decisions, ultimately improving the recognition and protection of children from abuse or neglect.

Summary of the impact

The Unit's work has had a direct impact on the child protection system in England. In 2010, the Secretary of State for Education invited Eileen Munro to review the child protection system, giving her a wide remit enabling her to address systemic factors (such as the inspection framework, statutory guidance and performance management systems) as well as front line practice. All 15 recommendations of her final 2011 report [B] have been accepted and are being implemented. Munro's research has had significant reach: she has given evidence to two state government reviews of child protection in Australia; and in Queensland a charity is running a campaign to persuade the state government to learn from her work.

Summary of the impact

UNICEF estimate that over 3,500 children die annually from abuse and neglect in economically developed countries, including 100 in the UK of whom around 4 are from Northern Ireland. Although the number of deaths appears to be falling in the UK, the rate of decline is slowing. This case study describes the impact of three related pieces of research undertaken for the Northern Ireland Executive and the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People. The aim was to identify the things that policy makers and practitioners could do differently in order to protect children better, and has led to significant improvements into how reviews are undertaken, and in the child protection policies and practices in Northern Ireland. As a result children have been better protected by child welfare professionals.

Summary of the impact

Research providing novel insights into children's perspectives on families and relationships has had wide impact on policy and practice in Scotland. Through a partnership with ChildLine Scotland, research conducted into children's calls has:

• led to the development of voluntary sector services to support children affected by their parents' drinking
• provided key information used to raise the awareness of `harm to others' in the change of alcohol policy to focus on reducing population-level alcohol consumption in Scotland (introduction of restrictions on sales and minimum pricing)
• been included in the training and education for parents, teachers and health improvement staff responsible for sexual health education of about 98,000 school-age children.