Evaluating interventions for prevention of CSAE -

UNDERSTANDING, DEFINING, ENGAGING & EVALUATING SECONDARY CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE PREVENTION INTERVENTIONS

2PS (Prevent & Protect through Support) held the first Knowledge Transfer Workshop (KTW) with stakeholders on 22nd January 2024 at UWE in Bristol focused on prevention of CSAE. It brought together professionals, practitioners, academics, and policymakers from across Europe who work to prevent child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSAE). The KTW was the first of three spread across the three years of this Horizon Europe funded project.

The KTW aims to create links with appropriate stakeholders and develop a stakeholder community of experts and first-line responders to exchange knowledge, raise awareness of prevention initiatives, and discuss best practices.

READ AND DOWNLOAD THE FULL REPORT AT THIS LINK!

WORKSHOP METHODOLOGY AND APPROACH

The first workshop focused around two key topics:

Current effectiveness of national and local policies and main findings from initial searches
Determining the success and efficacy of existing risk assessment tools, treatment and support programs based on their experience and knowledge.

The inaugural meeting attracted 65 delegates representing 8 countries (UK, Poland, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Norway, Czech Republic, Netherlands). Moreover, it covered a mix of criminal justice, university research, charity, helpline support and international agencies working in the CSAE field.

The workshop was staged in a world café format, where the participants were split into 5 different groups, which they remained in for the full day. A moderator went around each group leading a discussion on a topic. As a result, there were 10 topics addressed, with the moderator deepening their knowledge throughout the day, but also enabled the groups to bond, feeling better able to talk and be frank on each topic. The format for the day aimed to maximise opportunities to share knowledge and expertise across organisations and countries.

The day was divided into two sessions. The morning considered the current effectiveness of national and local policies and the main findings from initial searches. Firstly, we presented the initial project findings, which covered the exploratory scoping work to identify secondary prevention services across Europe and internationally, for those who have a sexual interest in children. Secondly, the session continued with a series of conversations and group work activities focusing on the first 5 questions:

Current effectiveness of national and local policies for CSAE prevention

Identifying need and justifying resource/implementation
Navigating the ethics of service provision
National and local challenges (legal, social, political)
National and local good practice
Engaging the service user, professionals, policymakers, and the public in service development, implementation, and maintenance

The afternoon discussion covered the success and efficacy of existing risk assessment tools and the treatment and support programmes based on delegates’ experience and knowledge. Specifically, participants explored the requirements to support existing gaps and needs for successful prevention outcomes. Subsequently, the groups progressed through a series of conversations and group work activities focusing on the following 5 questions:

Determining the success and efficacy of existing risk assessment tools, treatment and support programs based on their experience and knowledge

Framing the intervention and what this means for data collection and evaluation
Identifying key performance indicators & measuring success
Research ethics, data protection, and criminal justice interventions
How do we fund and support evaluation?
Disseminating research findings, sharing data, and impact on policy as well as practice

The lesson learnt of the day will be useful to inform future discussions and contribute to the development of a series of practice proposals that will begin to establish an informed coherent and evidenced approach to tackling the prevention of CSAE.

MAIN THEMES AND OUTCOMES

The main questions considered across the day covered distinct areas. However, the workshop revealed that no single area could be addressed in isolation as each part impacted on the potential delivery or alignment of another (image below).

As a result, the themes that emerged from the workshops crossed and interwove through the discussions and produced 3 main overarching themes:

CONCLUSIONS

The first 2PS workshop was a great success and solidified the importance of the project. The workshop emphasized the importance of professional engagement, communication, sharing good practice and collaboration in the secondary prevention of CSAE.

As a result of the workshop, the following points need further discussion:

The need for a defined and robust framework around the prevention of CSAE, especially with respect to secondary prevention with at-risk groups.
More evaluation on secondary prevention of CSAE to develop a robust evidence base that allows professionals and policy makers to better understand ‘what works’ and to better justify funding and service commissioning.
A common language to ensure consistency and coherence on the secondary prevention of CSAE within a public health framework and embed a change in the policy, practice and research narratives.
Developing better communication between service providers, policymakers and academics to share knowledge and establish good practice.
Develop better staff training and knowledge on balancing risk with desistence strategies.
The importance of improving the public narrative on the secondary prevention of CSAE, especially through the media/press, and the role of professionals in doing this.