The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse has published a new report on child sexual abuse in schools. The report describes the experiences of Truth Project participants sexually abused in the context of schools between the 1940s and 2010s, with the most recent case in sample beginning in the early 2010s.
The research found the majority of perpetrators were male teachers or other educational staff, with victims and survivor accounts revealing that abusers often manipulated and groomed children, staff and parents in order to facilitate the sexual abuse.
The research also found nearly half of participants who were sexually abused in the context of schools were aware of other victims in the same school, almost double those who were sexually abused in other contexts.
Victims and survivors suggested changes such as schools having a legal responsibility to investigate sexual abuse allegations, educating children on relationships, sex and abuse from a young age, and providing school staff with better child protection training.