ABSTRACT
The safety and protection of the child has been at the heart of the protection process in recent years. However, a large number of children remain vulnerable despite professional
intervention. In one study of sexually abused children, a half of all children seen were considered vulnerable to further abuse three months after referral. Nearly one in five was considered definitely unsafe at one year after referral.14 These estimates were based on a researcher’s point of view, but they receive support from one of the other research projects which examined all forms of abuse.8 Sixteen of the 61 children studied were reabused during follow-up.
