On Tuesday 2 February 2021 NAPAC launches its first impact report. It looks back at the year 2019-2020, whilst the Covid-19 pandemic was impacting survivors and services alike, making it a unique insight into this vital work during an unprecedented time.
Click here or on the cover image to read NAPAC’s first Impact Report
A unique report focussing on survivors
There are 8.5 million adult survivors of childhood abuse in England and Wales. The true cost of that trauma is estimated to be at least 10 billion pounds. That includes the direct physical and mental health impacts, loss of education and employment opportunities and breakdowns in relationships.
It is critical that survivors get the right support. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC) has been contacted by record numbers of survivors in the past year. Just under 130,000 people reached out to us for support.
NAPAC’s inaugural impact report looks in depth for the first time at the incredible work of survivors as they commit to healing from the trauma of being abused in childhood.
The impact report reveals the steps survivors make to recovery. It looks at how much they invest in working through their trauma towards healing, giving a rare insight into this work.
In the report, we detail the range of advocacy, professional training and awareness-raising activities NAPAC undertakes, as well as the core services NAPAC delivers to survivors, who represent 14% of the population. NAPAC supported 127,477 people in 2019-2020, through the telephone, email and online support services.
As one survivor told us, working through their trauma with that specialist support is ‘hard emotionally but in a constructive way’.
Chief Constable Simon Bailey, the National Police Chiefs Council lead for child protection and abuse investigations, commented:
“Policing recognises the valuable and essential work which takes place supporting victims and survivors of child sexual abuse, providing a safe place to reach out to, advice and support, and enabling victims to move towards the outcomes which are right for them. We recognise that the right outcome for all victims of childhood abuse is not necessarily via policing and criminal justice, and those who provide advice and support to victims play an even more vital role on those other pathways. The contribution such support provides cannot often be easily quantified – for many, it is priceless – an essential part of the victim and survivor journey to move beyond the childhood abuse which may have previously defined them in so many ways.”
Gabrielle Shaw, NAPAC’s Chief Executive, said
‘We are excited by this launch of NAPAC’s first ever impact report. This is the start of an annual publication of impact reports, marking a new sophistication in NAPAC’s reporting and outreach. NAPAC could not have achieved this kind of impressive impact without the support of funders such as government, individuals, trusts and corporate partners. I’m proud of what that has meant in terms of NAPAC supporting survivors, training professionals and leading advocacy and awareness-raising efforts’.
This impact report is part of NAPAC’s commitment to continue working and learning to reciprocate the trust placed in us. NAPAC developed this report to inform the public and advocate for survivors without individual survivors needing to disclose publicly or compromise their privacy.
Impact report 2019-2020 in numbers
8.5 million adults in England and Wales living with the aftermath of a traumatic childhood caused by abuse
14% of the population are survivors of childhood abuse
127,477 people directly reached through our NAPAC survivor support services
117,000 people visited our website
8,621 people were supported by phone
1,649 emails replied to by our survivor support services
3,576 hours of individual emotional support provided by telephone and email
72% of people we support are experiencing anxiety
42% of those we help have depression
38% are experiencing the pain of isolation
30 NAPAC support groups have been delivered across the UK
236 hours of support were given to each survivor in support groups
505 professionals trained in trauma-informed practice
Context and further details
NAPAC developed this report to inform the public and advocate for survivors. Public awareness of the scale and impact of abuse is higher than ever before, and trauma is becoming better understood. It is published following the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) which estimated one in five adults experienced at least one form of abuse before the age of 16 years (ONS Jan 2020). It also follows the Home Office’s first ‘Tackling Child Abuse Strategy’, which estimated the financial and non-financial costs of child sexual abuse alone to be at least £10 billion (published in Jan 2021).
Survivor support services:
Telephone: 0808 801 0331 (Monday – Thursday from 10am to 9pm and Friday from, 10am to–6pm)
Email: support@napac.org.uk
Support NAPAC: https://napac.org.uk/donate/
Media enquiries: media@napac.org.uk
General enquiries: info@napac.org.uk
Impact report contact: Kim Bond, Fundraising Manager – Kim.bond@napac.org.uk
NAPAC is a small, dedicated team. Our office number is not in use as we are all working from home as much as possible.