ABSTRACT
The realisation that child sexual abuse is a serious social problem, the extent of which is probably greater than had been previously thought, was brought about during the late 1980s and early 1990s. First, revelations regarding large-scale intra-familial sexual abuse of children in Cleveland in 1986 appeared to confirm the suspicions of welfare workers that children were suffering sexual abuse in their own families, while the ensuing media coverage served to fuel public anxiety. Second, large-scale victim surveys conducted by feminists such as Kelly (1988) began to suggest that a considerable proportion of adults had experienced sexual abuse as a child within their own
This chapter seeks to:
• Explore the impact of key child abuse investigations upon government policy.
