The Welsh Government has today unveiled a landmark ten‑year strategy aimed at preventing and responding to child sexual abuse, making Wales the first nation in the UK to introduce a long‑term, nationwide plan to tackle the issue.
The Strategy for Preventing and Responding to Child Sexual Abuse 2026–2036, published alongside a detailed three‑year delivery plan, represents one of the most comprehensive commitments to child protection in Welsh history. Developed with the input of adult victim‑survivors and leading safeguarding organisations, including the NSPCC, Barnardo’s, the Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse, and the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, the strategy outlines a vision for a Wales where all children can grow up free from sexual harm.
An estimated 25,000 children and young people in Wales are sexually abused each year. Experts warn that the impact of abuse can last a lifetime, affecting mental health, relationships, education, employability and community wellbeing.
The Welsh Government’s new strategy aims to address this widespread harm through a whole‑system approach, built around four core objectives:
1. Preventing child sexual abuse
A major focus is on early prevention through improved public awareness and high‑quality education about healthy relationships. The aim is to reduce risk and ensure children recognise unsafe behaviours before abuse occurs.
2. Protecting children when concerns arise
The strategy emphasises rapid, coordinated action when a child may be at risk. Professionals across education, health, social care and policing will be expected to share information effectively and intervene quickly.
3. Supporting children and families
Children who have experienced abuse, as well as their families, will gain improved access to counselling, therapeutic services and practical support. The plan recognises that parents, carers and siblings also face significant emotional trauma.
4. Supporting adult survivors
Acknowledging that the effects of abuse can endure into adulthood, the strategy commits to ongoing, flexible support for adults whenever they choose to seek help.
The document acknowledges that child sexual abuse occurs both online and offline, and can be perpetrated within families, peer groups, institutions and communities. As digital risks evolve, the strategy strengthens expectations around safeguarding in virtual environments as well as physical ones.
Clearer roles, shared responsibility and improved communication between agencies are central to the plan. Advisory groups – one for children and young people, and one for adult victim‑survivors – will guide the strategy’s implementation, ensuring lived experience remains at its core.
The accompanying delivery plan sets out specific actions to be undertaken between 2026 and 2029. These include:
- national public awareness campaigns
- enhanced training for frontline professionals
- improved therapeutic and specialist support services
- strengthened multi‑agency safeguarding arrangements
The Welsh Government says these steps are essential in reducing harm, improving responses when abuse is suspected, and ensuring survivors of all ages receive the help they need.
Dawn Bowden, Welsh Minister for Children and Social Care, said:
“Child sexual abuse is abhorrent. Its impact can be life-altering, affecting a person long into adulthood.
“This strategy represents our unwavering commitment to tackling this issue head-on and a whole‑system approach where everyone works together towards the same goal is central to achieving our objectives.
“I am deeply grateful to the victim-survivors with lived experience who have courageously helped shape this work as well as organisations who provide vital support. These voices will continue to guide us as we deliver on our ambitions.”
As Wales becomes the first UK nation to commit to a decade‑long strategy of this kind, ministers hope the approach will set a new standard for preventing child sexual abuse and supporting survivors across the country.
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