May Harper (she/her) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

💥 We don’t just have missing data. We have systems that aren’t designed to recognise patterns even when the information is there💥 A new report from the @educationgovuk explores how child sexual abuse and exploitation is recorded within children’s social care: gov.uk/government/publicatio…⁠ It highlights something many professionals will recognise: 👉 Risk is often understood over time 👉 But systems are designed to record incidents at a point in time So what happens? 👉 The data captures what fits the structure… 👉 But we’re still not seeing the pattern. Now hold that alongside this: 👉 Only 1 in 8 children experiencing sexual abuse are known to authorities So we are facing two realities at once: 🔹 The majority of children remain completely unseen 🔹 And even within the data we do have, patterns of harm are still being missed Not because professionals aren’t recognising risk — But because the system isn’t designed to capture how harm actually develops. Because exploitation doesn’t arrive as a single incident. It builds. Through behaviour. Through relationships. Through context. And that matters. Because when patterns aren’t visible: 🔹 Risk becomes fragmented 🔹 Insight stays buried in case notes 🔹 Harm is absorbed into broader categories 🔹 Intervention happens later not earlier 👉 And that means opportunities to recognise and prevent harm earlier are missed. This isn’t just about improving data. 👉 It’s about how decisions are made, how resources are allocated and ultimately, who gets seen. If we want earlier intervention, we need systems that can recognise patterns not just record incidents. This is something I explore in my paper: “Child Sexual Abuse, Data and Structural Invisibility” survivorsofabuse.org.uk/chil…⁠ Because this isn’t just about what is missing from the data… 👉 It’s about how systems, language and policy shape what becomes visible in the first place. "What is not named is not measured. What is not measured is not funded. What is not funded is not prevented". - Chris Tuck 2026 The report shows the system isn’t seeing the pattern. My paper explains why because it was never designed to. 💙 There is love, life and laughter after abuse 💙 Rebuilding you piece by piece 💙 Empowering futures As we approach our 10-Year Milestone & Impact Event, these are exactly the conversations we need to be having. Because if we want better outcomes…we need better ways of seeing. #ChildSexualAbuse #ChildSexualExploitation #Safeguarding #SystemChange #SurvivorVoice #DataMatters @SOB_Org

I am hosting a complimentary Webinar this Weds 8.4.26 6.30pm to 7.45pm pls register if you would like to attend and share with anyone you feel may benefit from attending. SOB - Survivors Of ABuse wwhf.webinargeek.com/breakin… @SOB_Org