Exploring Trauma Recovery Research

This report depicts the costs to the NHS if delayed, denied and disbelieved disclosures of child sexual abuse remains the norm. The breakdown of costs indicates that the highest costs were accrued before disclosure, further supporting the finding that delayed disclosure means higher costs to the NHS, and to the child sexual abuse (CSA) survivors. This report should inform and assist public policy by providing evidence on the importance of timely action to resolve systemic issues, such as avoidable delays and unnecessary spending. Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprises (VCSEs) play a vital role in advocating for survivors’ needs, and raise awareness of the barriers and challenges they face in the current system and play a crucial role in providing timely support and avoiding/reducing the costs associated with CSA survivors. Putting a conservative figure on the lifetime costs of CSA to the NHS could enable policymakers to better understand the likely impacts over the course of a lifetime rather than as an episode in the lives of survivors. More investment is needed in identifying and preventing CSA on a similar scale to the efforts involved in tackling domestic abuse. Delayed disclosure costs: Average lifetime health cost per CSA survivor was estimated to be just under £5m The total lifetime health-related economic burden in England and Wales was estimated to be almost £3bn annually

The University of Suffolk and local support charity Survivors in Transition has today published research looking at the impact of ‘delayed disclosure’ and access to services for those who have experienced sexual abuse in their childhood.

University Campus Suffolk and Suffolk charity Survivors in Transition present findings from important new research, Focus on Survivors. The study is based on a large scale, national questionnaire with adults who were sexually abused as children about their experiences of services.