Truth Project Thematic Report: Child sexual abuse in the context of schools
The Truth Project is a core part of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (‘the Inquiry’)
Truth Project Thematic Report: Child sexual abuse in the context of schools – executive summary | IICSA Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse
alongside public hearings and research. It was set up to hear and learn from the experiences of victims
and survivors of child sexual abuse1 in England and Wales.
Forty-two percent of participants sexually abused in the context of schools were aware of other
victims of sexual abuse, which was higher than those sexually abused in other contexts at 23
percent. Almost a third of participants reported that other people were aware of the sexual abuse:
32 percent, compared to 26 percent in other contexts. In some instances this awareness was
because participants were part of a group of children whom the perpetrator sexually abused,
or because disclosures by other victims revealed the sexual abuse. Participants also talked
about suspicion or rumours in schools surrounding the perpetrators, resulting in many missed
opportunities for safeguarding.