Through our advocacy work, we press for the system changes that are needed to enable a greater focus to be placed on the prevention of child sexual abuse. We believe that fundamental shifts in policy are necessary to prevent sexual harm to children before it happens. We are seeking to influence change and inspire action by decision makers that aligns with our vision of creating a world free from child sexual abuse.
Help us amplify our voice
We promote a proactive approach to preventing child sexual abuse, in addition to reporting and responding afterwards. We adopt a public health approach, which recognises that a criminal justice response alone is not enough. Our efforts must be shifted upstream to early interventions which prevent people from sexually harming children. Our aim is to shift the conversation towards providing necessary support, supervision, and accountability for those who pose a risk to children, helping them change and lead positive lives to prevent further victimisation.
We engage with a wide range of stakeholders including policymakers, journalists, statutory and voluntary sector partners, and the general public. It is only by working together and integrating a multidisciplinary approach that we will be better able to prevent and tackle child sexual abuse.
We also support the individuals we work with, including those who have committed offences, their families, and young people themselves, to ensure their voices are heard. By integrating their perspectives, we aim to make them part of the solution and foster a safer environment for all children.
Ultimately, our goal is to elevate the importance of child sexual abuse prevention on the public agenda.
Why is it important?
We bring a unique voice shaped by over 30 years of experience and insights from working directly with individuals who have committed sexual harm against children. Our approach to changing their behaviour and preventing future abuse sets us apart, as few others work to prevent child sexual abuse in the comprehensive way we do.
This distinctive perspective allows us to contribute valuable knowledge, insights and solutions to the field.
Lucy Faithfull Foundation is a recognised leader not just in the UK but also globally. Their reputation is based on the quality of their research and the quality of their advocacy. Everyone in the field reads everything the Lucy Faithfull publishes. They read it carefully, and they act on it.
John Carr, online safety expert.
How it fits into our strategy
Advocacy is a core component of our strategy, forming one of our three strategic pillars alongside reach and research. These pillars are interdependent, each reinforcing and enhancing the others. Our advocacy efforts are informed by our research and extended through our reach, ensuring that our insights and messages impact as broad an audience as possible. Together, these pillars create a cohesive strategy aimed at preventing child sexual abuse and fostering a safer society.
How we do advocacy
All of our advocacy work is guided by our strategy, which sets out five goals:
- Raise awareness
- Public health approach
- Working with those who pose a risk
- Harm suffered by families
- Harmful sexual behaviour
Raise awareness that sexual abuse can happen to any child, but is not inevitable; and everyone has a role in preventing it.
Promote a public health approach to preventing child sexual abuse, particularly early intervention before abuse happens.
Advance the acceptance and resourcing of working with people who have offended or who are at risk of doing so to prevent harm or further harm from taking place.
Raise awareness of the harm suffered by families when a love one has offended and to call for better support for families who find themselves in this situation.
Advance the understanding of harmful sexual behaviour amongst young people and what we can do to prevent this harm.
We carry out a variety of influencing activities that further our advocacy goals. This includes responding to government consultations, and engaging in the legislative process, as well as achieving media and press coverage to bring enhanced attention to the issues.
We also participate in a number of key sector stakeholder groups such as the Home Office Tackling Child Sexual Abuse Strategy Stakeholder Group, Scottish Parliament CPG on adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse, joint secretariat of the Welsh Parliament CPG on preventing child sexual abuse, the WeProtect Civil Society Reference Group, IICSA Changemakers and the Online Safety Act Network. We recognise that working in collaboration and a whole system response is required.