Identifying Child Sexual Abuse

Manchester Safeguarding Partnership has a comprehensive Child Sexual Abuse
Strategy to support all staff in safeguarding children effectively. GM STRATEGY

If you have concerns about child sexual abuse, we strongly encourage you to visit the Child Sexual Abuse Centre of Excellence website: Home | CSA Centre. It provides expert guidance, practical resources, and best practice information to help you respond appropriately and protect children.

If you believe a child is at immediate risk, follow your organisation’s safeguarding
procedures and contact emergency services without delay.

Additional Resources
All key agencies within Manchester Safeguarding Partnership have committed to using the Child Sexual Abuse Signs and Indicators Toolkit. This practical toolkit is a structured tool for helping professionals identify, record and respond to potential indicators of child sexual abuse. It supports informed decision-making and strengthens safeguarding practice. The Signs and Indicators template can be found here: Signs and indicators of child sexual abuse | CSA Centre

Key Considerations

• Signs are not always obvious. A single sign may not indicate abuse;
  professionals often need to build a cumulative picture of concerns.
• Consider suspected perpetrators. Professionals should also look for patterns
  and indicators that may suggest a perpetrator of child sexual abuse.
• Hidden abuse in families. Sexual abuse within family environments is often the most secretive and difficult for children to disclose. Abuse by a sibling can be particularly hard to reveal.
• Children may not recognise abuse. Many victims do not understand what is happening or that it is wrong. Perpetrators often use threats, manipulation, or
  blame to prevent disclosure.
• Patterns across agencies. Where abuse affects multiple family members, patterns of referrals or presentations to different agencies over time may provide clues.