Definition

Complex and organised (or multiple) abuse may be defined as abuse involving one or more abusers and a number of related or non-related abused children. The adults involved may be acting in concert to abuse children, acting in isolation or may be using an institutional framework or position of authority to recruit children for abuse. 

Such abuse can occur both as part of a network of abuse across a family or community and within institutions such as residential settings, boarding schools, day care and in other provisions such as youth services, sports clubs, faith groups and voluntary groups.  There will also be cases of children being abused via the use of electronic devices, such as mobile phones, computers, games consoles etc. which all access the internet.

Although in most cases of organised and complex abuse the abuser/s is an adult, it is also possible for children / young people to be the perpetrators of such harm, with or without adult abusers and should also consider how exploitation (harm away from home) is viewed when there is no clear adult link.

Peer abuse relates to various forms of abuse and occurs when a young person is exploited, bullied and/or harmed by their peers, this may involve grooming children for sexual and criminal exploitation. Young people may be sexually abused in the context of exploitative relationships, including contexts and situations perpetrated by another young person and should take into consideration that the behaviour in question may also be harmful to the child perpetrating the abuse as well as to the victim.  Situations where young people are forced or coerced into sexual activity by peers or associates can be related to gang / serious youth violence activity but that is not always the case. Many young people are not aware of the exploitation and peer influence; peer pressure is a major factor in the decisions made by young people to join groups. (See DSP Harmful Sexual Behaviour Practice Guidance and Protocol).

Complex and organised abuse is profoundly traumatic for children who are involved.  Each investigation of complex and organised abuse will be different, according to the characteristics of each situation and the scale of complexity of the investigation. But all will require thorough planning, collaborative inter-agency working and attention to the needs of the child victims involved.