Research and evaluation

Lucy Faithfull Foundation Wales believes that all adults are responsible for protecting children from sexual abuse. 

Our research and evaluation of programmes, projects, and campaigns, with everyone working towards the common aim of preventing child sexual abuse, will increase the impact and effectiveness of our work. Read below to find out more about our findings.

All Wales Review

In 2012 we led the All Wales Review on Child Sexual Abuse Prevention and set a comprehensive strategy for preventing child sexual abuse.

The process included the review of a framework developed by Smallbone et al, to examine the response in Wales to child sexual abuse prevention and to identify priority areas for improvement and need, highlighting the challenges to effective child sexual abuse prevention.

We also conducted research with young people, young people who had sexually abused children in the past, parents and carers, multi-agency professionals, and adult sexual offenders. Then using Smallbone’s framework, we examined the issue of child sexual abuse prevention and identified priority areas in need across Wales.

Findings, conclusions, and recommendations

1. A public health approach is required to prevent child sexual abuse, and to maximise the effectiveness of our work and that of many individuals and organisations across Wales.
2. A comprehensive long-term strategy can ensure communities, statutory agencies and voluntary sector organisations are working together to tackle this issue in a coordinated way. This will achieve greater impact and efficiency, as well as protect children and families from the devastating effects of sexual abuse.
3. A strategy must:

• increase public awareness of the scale, nature, and consequences of child sexual abuse in Wales
• implement a comprehensive, coordinated response to the sexual abuse of children nationally and locally, including priority target group work
• increase the long-term effectiveness and impact of work currently ongoing to tackle the sexual abuse of children in Wales
• address the shortage in services and resources required to achieve prevention before sexual abuse occurs
• ensure all aspects of prevention activities are evaluated in order to inform future developments.

For more information on the Stop It Now! Wales All Wales Review on Child Sexual Abuse Prevention 2012, please download the relevant documents below:

• English All Wales Review on Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Full Report 2012  (pdf)
• Welsh All Wales Review on Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Full Report 2012 (pdf)
• English All Wales Review on Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Executive Summary (pdf)
• Welsh All Wales Review on Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Executive Summary (pdf)

‘Parents Protect and Professionals Protect’ evaluating the work of Lucy Faithfull Foundation Wales

In 2015, we undertook research with the University of Cardiff to improve our services and evaluate their success to date.

This piece of research examines the education and awareness-raising sessions delivered by Stop It Now! Wales, Parents Protect and Professionals Protect. The research aims to evaluate the session’s effectiveness in raising awareness around child sexual abuse and the preventative actions that participants take from them.

Find out more by downloading the research.