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Original poster

NSPCC Sex Crime Survey

32 replies

limitedperiodonly · 04/04/2012 21:05

The news coverage majors on 'child abuse' which accounts for one third of offences.

We know that translates as 'little kids' = 'innocent victims'.

Two thirds of offences are recorded against people aged between 11-17.

I'm a journalist. I know news organisations will translate this as jailbait at best, manipulative scum at worst. Boys or girls.

That's why they don't want to touch it.

But I haven't seen anything on TV today from the NSPCC to try to say these are all vulnerable young people who are being fucked, trafficked and murdered.

I may be wrong and I'd be delighted to be proved wrong. Can anyone do that?

As it stands the NSPCC should be ashamed of itself to perpetuate the myth that there are worthy victims of 'child abuse' and the less-deserving others no matter how much money they hope to raise.

Otherwise they should save the money this survey cost and put it into playgroups.

OP posts:
Original poster
limitedperiodonly · 04/04/2012 23:17

I don't volunteer for work Nyac. Good work needs to be paid at the going rate and done by the right person. But I'm grateful for your point. Thanks.

OP posts:
Nyac · 04/04/2012 23:05

Have you thought of volunteering for the NSPCC press office? That's a serious question, although you're right if they aren't putting this story out properly then it's very bad.

Original poster
limitedperiodonly · 04/04/2012 22:53

KRITIQ I'm a journalist so know how news works but am not in a position to influence this issue.

However I care.

And anybody, particularly press officers from organisations as prestigious as the NSPCC should know it is their responsibility to spoon-feed journalists if they want to help their client groups.

Their failure offends me personally and professionally and should offend anyone else who cares about victims of sexual crimes.

I'm not asking for favours for myself. The favours should go to the people that organisations such as the NSPCC are supposed to help. Because if the NSPCC doesn't make it simple then newsrooms won't give a shit.

And then who do we help? A young person being sexually abused or someone drawing a good salary doing a poor job as a press officer at the NSPCC?

That link you posted was an utter turn-off. Maybe the NSPCC summarised it in an easily-digestible press release. I've just looked and I can't find it. Do you know where it is?

CantCant the two-thirds figure comes from Sky's report. Looking back, I don't think they did too badly.

'Worthy' and 'less deserving' is my interpretation of the way the news was reported. I don't think that's unreasonable given the way the NSPCC let this chance go.

OP posts:
Original poster
limitedperiodonly · 04/04/2012 22:23

I apologise for not putting up links. I assumed it would be easy to find because I saw it on TV today. Now I've had a search it's worse than I thought.

This important report stemming from a FOI request into sex crimefrom the NSPCC has had hardly any coverage and it looks like a blunder by the NSPCC itself.

Here's a link from Sky

from the Huntingdon Post

and from the NSPCC's Head of Strategy

The last one is my point, though I didn't realise it at the time, until you asked what I was talking about KRITIQ and CantCant.

That report from the Head of Strategy is woeful. Inpenetrable nonsense. Worse when you know that the media isn't very happy about reporting sex crimes against anything other than 'innocent' victims.

I am not surprised it didn't get better coverage. I'm actually quite ashamed that I slagged off news organisations for not making more of it.

The NSPCC should get a better head of press. Victims of sex crime deserve it.

OP posts:
CanCant · 04/04/2012 21:40

One third of what type of offences?
Sex offences? or offences against children?

Two thirds of which group of offences are recorded against 11-17yo?

Please be more clear in your description, and please provide a link to where NSPCC differentiate between "worthy and ...less-deserving" [sic] victims !

KRITIQ · 04/04/2012 21:30

Seriously, just did an internet search and can't find any links to reports in the past couple years related to your op.

I did find this response from the NSPCC to a consultation on the wording of future British Crime Surveys, suggesting ways of enabling young participants to respond more accurately and urging them to reconsider the parameters of their survey on sexual violence to include incidents before the age of 16 (as they recognise that this is an increasing problem.)

That certainly doesn't support your claim that they are perpetuating the myth that abuse is only important if it happens to pre-teens.

KRITIQ · 04/04/2012 21:21

Links please?

I've never got the impression that NSPCC perpetuate the myth that there are worthy and unworthy victims of child abuse.

For example, they've produced some pretty hard hitting research on abuse and control in teen relationships, which is very much about highlighting one increasing form of abuse against teenagers.

The fact that the media will translate any findings related to abuse of teens as "just jailbait" isn't the responsibility of the NSPCC or any of the other organisations involved in promoting child welfare, preventing abuse, supporting survivors, etc. If you are a journo yourself, then what are YOU doing about this slant on the issue?