Sexually abused boys 'invisible'

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Researchers have found a lack of projects to help sexually abused boys.

Prof Stewart Asquith, of the UHI Centre for Rural Childhood, described the issue as an "invisibility of boys".

Prof Asquith and Elspeth Turner, a former lecturer at the University of Edinburgh, found the majority of victims were girls.

The research was commissioned by the Geneva-based Oak Foundation. Their findings will be presented to an international conference this week.

The foundation is a group of charitable and philanthropic organisations funding projects in conservation, human rights, abuse, housing, learning disabilities and other social justice issues.

Prof Asquith and Ms Turner's report and recommendations are to be discussed at the World Congress Against Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents in Brazil.

Delegates include representatives of governments and major international children's organisations such as Save the Children, Unicef and End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes.

RESEARCHERS' FACT FILE UHI is the prospective University of the Highlands and Islands.The Centre for Rural Childhood was launched last year. Prof Asquith is its acting director.Elspeth Turner was a lecturer at the University of Edinburgh.

Prof Asquith said: "Previous work and conferences have focused on the prevention of abuse, but we were asked to look at the problems around recovery and reintegration into communities where victims can be ostracised and given little care.

"We really need to do more than we have in the past."

He added: "One issue we discussed was the invisibility of boys. We were surprised at the seemingly few projects available to help boys.

"The majority of victims are girls, but there are many boys and their circumstances can be very different."

Florence Bruce, director of the Oak Foundation's child abuse programme, said the report would raise the profile of recovery and reintegration strategies.

She added: "But we also intend to use the report as a stepping stone to a longer-term initiative to keep these issues at the forefront of international activity."

Although the work was a private commission for Professor Asquith and Ms Turner, this area will be one of the priority areas in the future work of the UHI Centre for Rural Childhood, based at Perth College UHI.