Glossary
- Academies
- Adoption Order
- Adult with care and support needs
- Care Quality Commission
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
- Child Death Overview Panel
- Child in need
- Child Protection Conference
- Child Protection Plan
- Child sexual exploitation
- Clinical Commissioning Group
- Core Group
- CPS
- Domestic abuse
- Early help
- emergency protection order
- Emotional abuse
- Fabricated or induced illness
- Free Schools
- General Medical Council
- Grooming
- IRO
- LADO
- Lead social worker
- Looked After Child
- LSCB
- Medical assessment
- Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub
- Neglect
- NSPCC
- Nursing and Midwifery Council
- Ofsted
- Physical abuse
- Pre-birth assessment
- Section 47
- Serious case review
- Sexual abuse
Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, not necessarily involving a high level of violence, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including assault by penetration (e.g. rape or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing and touching outside of clothing.
Sexual abuse includes non-contact activities, such as: involving children in looking at or producing pornographic materials, watching sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways, or grooming a child in preparation for abuse (including via the internet). Sexual abuse is not solely perpetrated by adult males. Women can also commit acts of sexual abuse, as can other children.
Sexual abuse also includes abuse of children through sexual exploitation. Penetrative sex where one of the partners is under the age of 16 is illegal, although prosecution of similar age, consenting partners is not usual. However, where a child is under the age of 13 it is classified as rape.
- Significant harm
- Unexpected child death