Thank you for visiting ECSA.
We are currently working on a new website which will be relaunched in 2020 with additional information and functionality.
If you know of an intervention which may be considered for inclusion please contact us at ecsa@lucyfaithfull.org
This site is a free toolkit.
It is provided by Lucy Faithfull Foundation - a child protection charity based in UK.
It is for everyone who cares about children – schools, police, social workers, NGOs, local and national governments.
It will help you prevent children from being sexually abused.
With this toolkit you can design a local plan that fits your needs.
This web site will help you:

Understand child sexual abuse.
Decide what kinds of child sexual abuse are a problem in your area, city, country.

Plan solutions that fit your needs.
See solutions others have used from around the world.

This ECSA toolkit is all about preventing the sexual abuse of children.
Download
Welcome to the ECSA toolkit.pdf
downloadwhat is child sexual abuse?
There are many forms of child sexual abuse.
Different places and cultures have different issues.
Download
What is child sexual abuse.pdf
downloadhow to prevent child sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse is preventable - it is not inevitable.
It is a public health problem which requires interventions across all levels of society.

Steps towards prevention
The download document below explains the process of abuse and how abusers overcome barriers to abuse.
It also shows how those barriers can be made stronger, so that abuse is prevented.
These barriers involve:
- The individual at risk of abusing
- The child or young person at risk of being abused
- Protective adults and young people
Preventing abuse theory
The download document (below) outlines how child sexual abuse can be prevented by taking a public health approach to the problem.
The document explains what is required to address the problem effectively, using interventions and programmes targeting specific groups.
These interventions can be made at different stages of life and at various stages in the abuse process.
Here are some first steps you can take

Think about child sexual abuse in your community
What are the strengths in your community? What are the problems?

Bring people together
Who can you ask to help? Who can help prevent child sexual abuse?

Decide a way forward
Which problems are most common and need to change first?
Download
First planning meeting.pdf
downloadThese documents (below) will help you create a child sexual abuse prevention strategy

Developing your strategy
What to think about when planning a strategy? What sort of things should it include?

A working tool
Plan and record your own strategy.

Strategy template and examples
Example strategies which will help you when planning your own strategy.
Interventions and resources from across the globe
The map below shows where the international interventions and resources on this website have come from.

Identify interventions of interest
You can use the left hand search function below to find the interventions and resources that are most relevant for you.
Note: the descriptions of interventions and resources below are based on published research or documentation from the relevant organisation. Where available, evaluation information is included. Inclusion of an intervention or resource in this toolkit is not necessarily an indication of effectiveness; more of promise. When using an intervention or resource from this website, you will need to adapt it to make it relevant to your own context.
Please contact us with any feedback and information about additional interventions that could usefully be included:
Access to Justice
A service which advocates for children’s rights, provides free access to legal aid for child victims of sexual (and other) abuse and engages with communities to provide information about sexual abuse.
-
Classroom Setting
-
Group Work
-
Public Education
An Exceptional Children's Guide to Touch
A book which aims to keep children safe by focussing on issues of physical touch; what is acceptable and what is problematic.
-
Book/Guide
Blue Teddy Bear: Child Sexual Abuse Awareness Pins
The symbol of the Blue Teddy Bear was designed specifically to raise awareness of CSA and to show that the prevalence of CSA can be reduced.
-
Public Education
Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Workshop
A workshop delivered to secondary caregivers whereby information on child abuse and neglect is conveyed through use of videos, cases studies, activities and discussions.
-
Classroom Setting
-
Group Work
Childline Therapeutic Programmes for Children Harmed by Abuse
Therapeutic programmes for families where children have been harmed by sexual abuse. Childline staff deliver the progamme using play therapy, individual, group and family therapy.
-
Counselling
-
Family Work
-
Group Work
-
Individual Work
Cracked Mirrors
A theatre production for advocacy against child sexual abuse and exploitation performed by those who have experienced abuse themselves on the streets of the Philippines. An educational campaign focussing on commercial sexual exploitation. Leaflets, posters and online banners were used in English, Polish, Ukrainian and Russian. Preventative workshops were also delivered to young people and a helpline was made available.
-
Theatrical
Don't Lose!
An educational campaign focusing on commercial sexual exploitation. Leaflets, posters and online banners were used in English, Polish, Ukrainian and Russian. Preventative workshops were also delivered to young people and a helpline was made available.
-
Classroom Setting
-
Phone
-
Public Education
Dynamics of Sexual Abuse Workshop
A workshop for professionals and other adults designed to provide guidance, advice, education and support to those in a position to act to protect children.
-
Classroom Setting
-
Group Work
Espace romand de prevention DIS NO
A helpline and email service which provides an initial contact point for people worried about their own sexual attraction to children, or people worried about someone they know, for them to receive advice, support and referrals onto additional services e.g. psychologists.
-
Online/App
-
Phone
Expect Respect - USA
A school based educational programme promoting safe and healthy relationships for young people.
-
Classroom Setting
-
Counselling
-
Group Work
-
Individual Work
Helping Mothers Move Forward
A book for use by professionals who are working with ‘principally but not exclusively’ mothers of children who have been sexually abused; includes safe carers also. It aims to assess and offer therapy and support to mothers.
-
Book/Guide
Hope for Children and Families: Working with Sexual Abuse Child and Family Training
Training aimed at parents of children who have been sexually abused and at young people who have engaged in harmful sexual behaviours.
-
Family Work
-
Individual Work
Inform
An individual or group work course for family members and friends of those arrested, charged or convicted for internet child pornography offences.
-
Group Work
-
Individual Work
Inform Young People Programme
A face to face educative course of 1 to 5 sessions for children and young people with concerning and/or illegal sexual behaviour on the internet, as well as their families.
-
Group Work
-
Individual Work
Keeping Ourselves Safe
A positive personal safety skills programme that aims to provide young people with the skills to cope with situations that might involve abuse. For delivery in schools by teachers supported by Police Education Officers.
-
Classroom Setting
-
Family Work
Looking out for Lottie
A programme aimed to educate professionals about the key aspects of online child sexual exploitation and aimed to provide young people with information about grooming methods. Includes a video about a girl called Lottie who met a boy called Jake and the progression of their relationship.
-
Classroom Setting
-
Group Work
-
Individual Work
Net Aware
A website providing information to children and their parents about social networking sites, games and apps used by children.
-
Online/App
Partners for Protection
A group based programme for women who have an identifiable concern regarding their ability to protect their child/children from sexual abuse.
-
Game
-
Group Work
-
Individual Work
Responsive Education and Awareness for Child Protection (REAP)
A public education programme designed to educate various members of the community (e.g. doctors, religious leaders, parents) around the reality and signs, of child sexual abuse.
-
Public Education
Second Step Child Protection Unit
A training package that help teachers create and implement a child protection strategy within their school.
-
Classroom Setting
-
Group Work