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Types of Child Sexual Abuse
Child sexual abuse takes many forms - all are harmful.
Child sexual abuse is not limited to one act. It can occur within families, between peers, online, or in institutional environments but we know through research that a high percentage of 'contact sexual abuse' is carried out by someone known to the child.
Sexual abuse may involve physical contact, coercion, exploitation, or manipulation and sometimes no physical touch at all. Whether it's abuse by a trusted adult, a peer, or a sibling, each form carries serious consequences for a child’s safety, development, and wellbeing.
Recognising the varied ways abuse can manifest is essential for early identification, effective intervention, and meaningful support.
Contact and Non-Contact Abuse
Not all forms of sexual abuse to a child involve physical contact.
Contact abuse includes any sexual activity where physical touch occurs, such as inappropriate touching, penetration, or forced sexual acts.
Non-contact abuse, though less visible, can be equally harmful—it may involve exposure to sexual content, coercion to engage in sexual conversations or behaviours, or being made to witness sexual acts.
For practitioners, recognising both forms is crucial. Children may struggle to disclose or even understand what has happened to them, and early, sensitive intervention can play a vital role in safeguarding and recovery.
Alongside child-on-child or peer sexual abuse, sibling sexual abuse is likely to be the most common form of sexual abuse of children, perhaps three times more likely than parental abuse, yet receives little attention.
Taken from the Safeguarding Network Sibling sexual abuse | Safeguarding Network
Child on Child
Child-on-child sexual abuse refers to sexual behaviours initiated by a child that are harmful, exploitative, or abusive toward another child.
It is an issue that is layered with complexity, can be difficult to identify, and even harder to talk about. These behaviours may occur between siblings, peers, or within friendship groups, and are often misunderstood or minimised due to assumptions about age, intent, or curiosity.
For practitioners, recognising that children can both cause and experience harm is essential. Early, informed, and sensitive intervention can make a significant difference in protecting children and supporting their recovery.
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Understanding Sexual Behaviours 1MG
Intra-familiar Abuse
Intra-familial child sexual abuse refers to sexual abuse perpetrated by a family member or others, such as foster carers or a parent’s partner, who feel like family from the child’s point of view.
This form of abuse is particularly complex and deeply traumatic, as it violates the fundamental trust and safety that children should experience within their own homes.
For practitioners, understanding the dynamics of intra-familial abuse is crucial as it often involves secrecy, manipulation, and emotional coercion, making disclosure difficult for the child. Recognising the signs, responding with empathy, and working within a trauma-informed framework are essential steps in supporting affected children and their families.
Sexual Abuse in the Family
This video explains the process of how abuse within the family environment can happen over a period of time, and whilst not being noticed by others.
Sibling Abuse
Sibling sexual abuse is one of the most under-recognised forms of child sexual abuse, often occurring in the context of shared family environments where boundaries may be blurred and disclosure is difficult.
It is a deeply complex and often misunderstood form of intrafamilial harm and can have profound and lasting impacts on all individuals involved, particularly the child who has been harmed.
It involves sexual behaviours initiated by one sibling towards another that are abusive, coercive, or exploitative, and can have serious emotional, psychological, and developmental consequences for the child who has been harmed. The dynamics are complex, rooted in power imbalances, secrecy, and sometimes minimised by caregivers or practitioners due to misconceptions about sibling relationships.
Understanding the nature, impact, and appropriate responses to sibling sexual abuse is essential for safeguarding children and supporting recovery.
Sibling sexual abuse: a type of intrafamilial abuse
NSPCC Learning Podcast
This episode of the NSPCC Learning Podcast focuses on sibling sexual abuse, a type of intrafamilial abuse that often involves forms of harmful sexual behaviour. Katy Tomkinson and Rowan Wolfe, who work on the NSPCC’s harmful sexual behaviour (HSB) service, talk about: the effects of sibling sexual abuse on children and families, the impact of family dynamics, and contributory factors to harmful sexual behaviours being displayed.
Case Study: Disclosure in a Trusted Setting
Scenario:
During a one-to-one session with a school wellbeing officer, 10-year-old Liam quietly discloses that his older brother has been “doing things” to him at night that make him feel scared and uncomfortable. He struggles to describe the behaviour in detail but becomes visibly distressed when asked further questions.
What should happen next?
- Stay Calm and Reassuring
– Thank Liam for telling you and reassure him that he has done the right thing.
– Avoid expressing shock or disbelief, as this may cause him to shut down. - Do Not Investigate
– Use open, non-leading prompts like “Can you tell me more about that?” if clarification is needed.
– Do not press for details or ask leading questions. Your role is to listen, not to investigate. - Follow Safeguarding Procedures Immediately
– Report the disclosure to your designated safeguarding lead (DSL) as soon as possible.
– Record the disclosure factually, using Liam’s own words where possible, and note any visible signs of distress. - Ensure Liam’s Immediate Safety
– Consider whether Liam can safely return home that day. If not, escalate to children’s social care immediately.
– The DSL will coordinate with statutory services (e.g., social care, police) to assess risk and initiate a response. - Support and Monitor
– Continue to provide emotional support in a safe, non-intrusive way.
– Work with professionals to ensure Liam receives appropriate therapeutic and safeguarding interventions.
Extra-familiar Abuse
Extra-familial child sexual abuse refers to sexual harm perpetrated by individuals outside the child’s immediate family, such as peers, adults in positions of trust, or strangers
This form of abuse can occur in schools, online spaces, youth organisations, or within the wider community. It often involves grooming, manipulation, and exploitation, and may be harder to detect due to the absence of familial ties.
For practitioners, understanding that abuse can happen in any setting is vital. Building awareness of the signs, contexts, and vulnerabilities associated with extra-familial abuse is key to safeguarding children and ensuring timely, trauma-informed support.
This type of abuse can present itself in various ways, which can include:
- Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)
- Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE) (e.g., county lines drug trafficking)
- Serious Youth Violence and Gang Involvement
- Online Grooming
- Teenage Relationship abuse
- Radicalisation and Extremism
- Modern Slavery and Trafficking
Extra Familial Abuse tends to occur as children reach adolescence when their social networks expand.
It includes harm from peers, adults, or strangers in contexts such as:
- Education settings – schools, colleges
- Community spaces – sports clubs, youth clubs, hobby clubs,
- Online platforms – social media, online gaming,
- Peer groups –
Online Sexual Abuse
Online child sexual abuse refers to any form of sexual exploitation or abuse of children, that occurs through digital technologies and online platforms.
As digital platforms become increasingly embedded in children's lives, offenders exploit these spaces to groom, exploit, and harm vulnerable individuals. Behaviours such as grooming, sharing or producing indecent images of children, live-streaming abuse, coercing children into sexual activities via messaging apps or social media, and trafficking for online exploitation, are all online abuse.
Online child sexual abuse is a deeply concerning and rapidly evolving threat that demands a coordinated, informed, and compassionate response from practitioners across all sectors.
Practitioners play a critical role in identifying risks, supporting victims, and working collaboratively to prevent abuse and bring perpetrators to justice.
Recognising the signs such as secrecy around online activity, sudden changes in behaviour, or receiving gifts or messages from unknown individuals can help adults intervene early. Creating open conversations about online safety, setting clear boundaries, and knowing where to report concerns are essential steps in protecting children.
- Learn more and visit the NSPCC website
- Visit the UK home office webpage for victim support guidance
- Read about AI becoming Child Sexual Abuse machines from the IWF
Online Offenders
Offenders may use anonymity and accessibility of the internet to target children, often manipulating or threatening them to maintain control.
It is a serious crime with profound and lasting impacts on victims, requiring a coordinated response from law enforcement, safeguarding professionals, educators, and technology providers to detect, prevent, and respond effectively
Offenders often use false identities, multiple accounts, or encrypted communication to avoid detection.
These individuals may build trust gradually, offering attention, gifts, or in‑game rewards, or they may use threats, manipulation, or blackmail to pressure children into sharing sexual images or engaging in harmful behaviour. Some perpetrators act alone, while others participate in organised networks that share illegal material or coordinate exploitation.
Understanding how perpetrators operate helps adults recognise risks early. Open communication with children, awareness of online behaviours, and knowing how to report concerns are key to reducing opportunities for harm. The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command, or CEOP Command, is a command of the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), and is tasked to work both nationally and internationally to bring online child sex offenders, including those involved in the production, distribution and viewing of child abuse material, to the UK courts.
- Visit CEOP website to find out more about online reporting
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Quick links to guide the practitioner
below you will find a list of quick links to help you identify and respond to CSA
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CSA Assessment form / screening tool Exisits? or C C Of E -
CSA training To develop -
Procedures & policy WYConsortium -
Voice of the child assessment guidance -
1MG to CSA bite sized learning -
Refelctive practise Professional wellbeing
cultural / spiritual / religious abuse to include FGM - links to DA page on this section. Breast Ironing, Forced Marriage. Spiritual Abuse - cults - doctrines how this affects and can cause abuse in children - emotional signs etc Safeguarding in faith communities | NSPCC Learning?