On the 9th December, Hydrant published the Group-Based Offending Report 2024 and the National centre for Violence against Women and Girls in partnership with the National College of Policing published the National Analysis of Police-Recorded CSAE Crimes Report 2024.
The online statistics presented in the reports, while deeply concerning in their year-on-year increase, are unfortunately not surprising. For several years we have seen a growing number of parents accessing our services because their child has been a victim of abuse where online activity has played a significant role. Families consistently report feeling unable to keep pace with the evolving platforms, settings, and technologies that shape their children’s lives. This reinforces the urgent need for safety-by-design: those who create apps and platforms must take responsibility for ensuring they are safe for children. The responsibility cannot rest solely with parents. While parents can and do take sensible measures, perpetrators are networked, agile, and adept at harnessing the platforms that provide unregulated access to children. It is unrealistic and unfair to expect parents to understand every risk posed by complex, fast-moving online environments. Whilst we acknowledge the opportunities for education and connection that digital spaces provide, if the risks aren’t addressed at a systemic level, the long-term impact from the current dangers will continue to outweigh any benefits.
Similarly, the figures relating to child-on-child abuse, while distressing, sadly align with the referrals we are seeing nationally. It is essential that this data is interrogated thoroughly. Historically, child exploitation has often involved adults or older offenders using younger children as intermediaries or conduits to facilitate abuse, remaining hidden while the younger child is visible and identified as the perpetrator. This context must not be overlooked. We also need to understand how environmental and societal changes, including exposure to harmful online content and attitudes, shape children’s interactions and relationships with peers. These influences can manifest in behaviours that cause harm. It is critical that schools are given funding and training to tackle harmful sexual behaviour, so they can better understand the cultural and environmental context of this rising form of abuse, so it can be addressed with a whole school approach.
We must remain cautious about criminalising children. A relational lens is essential: we need to understand what has happened in a child’s world that has led to harmful behaviour. Training and support for the safe adults in children’s lives must be prioritised to ensure early indicators, both those causing harm and those at risk of harm, are recognised. Early information and support for parents, carers, educators, pastoral staff, and broader support services are key.
While collecting and analysing data is vital, it must lead to action. Continued steps must be taken to address the harms, hold those responsible to account, and respond to the contexts in which harm occurs. We need holistic, relational support systems that recognise the ongoing needs of victims and survivors, as well as the impact on their wider families, who are often third-party victims. Meaningful, coordinated action is essential to protect children and reduce harm, always centering their voices and experiences.
Lindsay Dalton, Chief Executive Officer