West Yorkshire Safeguarding Children Initiative

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West Yorkshire Safeguarding Children
Initiative Rugby League Club Welfare Officers
Conference July 2008 Paul Stainburn (West
Yorkshire Police) Nigel Harrison (West Yorkshire
Sport)
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Grooming What does it mean to you?

• Grooming What does it mean to you?

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PRESENTATION CONTENT

• Why have a Grooming Initiative
• Case Studies
• Signs of Grooming and Abuse
• The Nature of Sex Offenders

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WHY HAVE A GROOMING INITIATIVE?

• Duty to protect children in sport.
• To raise awareness of the dangers.
• Children in sport are an easy target for abusers.
• Sport provides easy access for abusers.
• We can protect children better by working
  together.

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CASE STUDY

• David is a 27 year old teacher. Whilst he teaches
  academic subjects, he also takes responsibility
  for the school sports teams.
• He applies to your club to join as a voluntary
  coach.
• COMMENTS

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• David Joins your club as a member and coach.
• Good coach, a year passes and there are no
  concerns.
• He is now well established as a leading member of
  the club. A stalwart, dependable and a good
  personal coach. Your club is within the catchment
  area of the school where David teaches.
• You are aware that David has been promoted to a
  position of responsibility within the school.
• ANY CONCERNS?

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• Young athletes in the club develop a trust of
  David, who is very popular and approachable.
• Comfortable with the young people, spends time
  with them and has a good laugh with them.
• A genial and tactile individual who always
  provides a shoulder to cry on for the young
  people.
• ANY CONCERNS?

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• William is a promising young footballer, 8 years.
• He is a very competent young footballer who is a
  team player, David works well with him.
• William is a pupil at Davids school and you are
  aware that William also plays in the school
  football team.
• David Obviously likes William and William
  responds to this.
• ANY CONCERNS?

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• Williams mother is not married and as time goes
  on David becomes friendly with her and the two
  eventually form a relationship. Williams mother
  has no other children.
• David starts bringing William to training.
  Previously William would attend training on his
  own. You have never met his mother.

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• David and Williams mother then move in
  together.
• William is becoming a quality player and is
  sought after by other local clubs. .
• ANY CONCERNS

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• Whilst David is responsible for coaching other
  athletes it is noticed by other coaches that
  David is always attentive towards William and the
  two seem inseparable.
• David tells the other coaching staff that William
  is very insecure following the breakdown of his
  mothers previous relationship and that he was
  doing everything he could to help him through a
  difficult period.

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• Before David came along, William had a number of
  friends at the club and at school but he does not
  seem to associate with them anymore. He arrives
  immediately before training and leaves
  immediately after training with David.
• ANY CONCERNS

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• William does not talk to other coaches at the
  club.
• Whereas previously he seemed outgoing and happy
  he now seems withdrawn and unhappy.
• Whilst he is obviously a talented footballer he
  seems to take no pleasure in the sport.

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• You have seen William crying and David comforting
  him.
• Displays mood swings. David tells you that
  Williams mother is ill.
• ANY CONCERNS

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WILLIAMS STORY

• William tells his mother shortly after David
  comes to live with them that David has been
  touching him indecently and insists on dressing
  him.
• Williams mother accuses him of lying and tells
  him that without the money David is bringing into
  the family they will have to sell the house and
  move away from the area.

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• He gave him special favours and privileges.
• The special friendship meant that much of what
  they said and did together remained secret.
• David isolated William from his friends and
  others.

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• David started by taking an interest in what
  William was wearing.
• He took him shopping and when they returned home
  he insisted on helping him try on the new
  clothing. David accidentally touched William in
  the groin area. William complained to David.
• David told William that he would not be believed.

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• This progressed to sexual abuse, William told his
  mother but she did not believe him which
  reinforced the messages being given by David .
• David told him that he would have to go into care
  if his mother had to sell the house.
• David told him that he had encouraged him and
  that he was as much to blame.

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• As time went on, it was more difficult for
  William to say No and for him to tell anyone.
• He felt guilty, that it was his fault.
• William is now a grown man. He has attempted
  suicide on numerous occasions.
• William does not play football anymore and
  associates the sport with the abuse suffered at
  the hands of David for over 5 years.

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THE REAL DAVID

• David had known that he had a sexual interest in
  young boys for many years. His decision to choose
  teaching as a career was heavily influenced by
  this.
• He took responsibility for the school football
  team to gain closer contacts with young boys.
• William only came forward to disclose his abuse
  many years later whilst David was being
  investigated in relation to other offences.

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• Although David did not have a criminal history,
  he was a serial abuser and to the knowledge of
  the investigation team, had abused a number of
  other boys over a 25 year period.
• He specifically targeted opportunities to abuse
  children, e.g. schools and sports clubs.

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• David was sentenced to 3 years imprisonment
  after being found guilty of a number of offences
  of indecency committed against young boys and
  placed on the Sex Offender Register for Life.
• William felt unable to attend court and David has
  never been prosecuted for the offences committed
  against him.

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ABUSE AGAINST CHILDREN

• The Child Public Protection Unit has received
  8,987 referrals over the last 12 months.
• There are 2,126 Registered Sex Offenders in West
  Yorkshire at the current time.
• This only includes those people convicted of sex
  offences since 1998.
• That figure is due to rise five-fold over the
  next 10 years.

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WHO IS A CHILD ABUSER?The Myth

• Dirty old man.
• Loner.
• Single man with no children.
• Someone of low intelligence.

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WHO IS A CHILD ABUSER?The Reality

• 30 are trusted adults (not family)
• 95 of child abusers are adult male
• 1 are adult female
• 4 children

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Further Scenarios