Marie Collins Foundation

Being heard shouldn’t depend on being able to tell the whole story the first time! Trauma can affect how someone remembers, processes and communicates what has happened to them. At an initial police interview, a victim or survivor may not be able to recall or put into words every detail of their experience. That's why we are so pleased to support the launch of 'I Am Ready'. It gives victims and survivors another opportunity to provide information about a previously closed case – information that could help build a fuller picture when that case is reviewed.

We’re really pleased to support this important call for media literacy to be made a national priority. Children and young people are growing up in a digital world that is constantly changing. Helping them understand the spaces they are using, think critically about what they see, and know where to turn for support is an important part of helping keep them safe. But education cannot carry the burden on its own. Media literacy must go hand in hand with stronger regulation, safer-by-design products and real accountability for the companies creating the digital spaces children use every day. We’re glad to stand alongside the Molly Rose Foundation and so many others in calling for an approach that gives children the skills they need, while keeping responsibility where it belongs.

This weekend, The Guardian revealed the scale of child-on-child sexual offences recorded at schools in England and Wales. Whilst we ask the question ‘How do we stop this happening?’, we also need to ask: ‘How do we respond when it does?’ When faced with children harming other children, here are 5 things to ask ourselves: 1. Are we looking beyond the behaviour?  A child displaying harmful sexual behaviour may also have experienced harm themselves. If we only deal with the behaviour in front of us, we may miss something else that is going on like abuse, trauma or coercion. 2. Do we know exactly what happened?  It’s important to record the behaviour and language accurately. Don’t minimise it. Don’t sanitise it. Good safeguarding decisions depend on clear and accurate information. 3. Is our response proportionate?  Not every incident is the same. We need to understand the behaviour, the child’s stage of development and the wider context before deciding what intervention is needed. 4. Are we blaming the child?  Victim-blaming can be subtle. Phrases we have come across such as “you’ve learned your lesson” and “you won’t be doing that again” can reinforce shame and self-blame. 5. Have we listened properly before acting?  A parent who shared her family’s lived experience in our recent webinar, described what happened when her daughter was blamed rather than recognised as a victim: “She was just blamed and it just went from there. Nobody saw her as the victim and it made her feel like she was the offender.” Her advice to professionals was simple: “they really need to listen before acting.” How we respond matters. A poor response can add another layer of harm to what a child has already experienced. A thoughtful, informed response can help us understand what is really happening and what each child needs next. ▶️ For more practical guidance, watch our webinar: How do we respond to children harming children? https://lnkd.in/eHGn24hE 📘 Find out more about our Harmful Sexual Behaviours training here: https://lnkd.in/ePKQayRs 📰 Read The Guardian investigation here: https://lnkd.in/e4ca588p

Today: When your lived experience helps others, how do you make sure you are looking after yourself too? For many victims and survivors, advocacy can be empowering - but it can also have an emotional impact. This morning, in the final webinar of our 'Life Beyond TACSA' series, the conversation will explore how victims and survivors can engage in advocacy and lived experience work while protecting their own wellbeing, recognising boundaries, and sustaining recovery over time. This series is intended primarily for victims and survivors, while also offering important insight for parents, carers and professionals supporting recovery. 📅 Today 🕚 11:00am–12:00pm 💻 Microsoft Teams There is no need to register. Simply use the link below to join the webinar shortly before it begins: Join the webinar: https://lnkd.in/eM3NWCxm

When your lived experience helps others, how do you make sure you are looking after yourself too? For many victims and survivors, advocacy can be empowering - but it can also have an emotional impact. Next week, in the final webinar of our 'Life Beyond TACSA' series, the conversation will explore how victims and survivors can engage in advocacy and lived experience work while protecting their own wellbeing, recognising boundaries, and sustaining recovery over time. This series is intended primarily for victims and survivors, while also offering important insight for parents, carers and professionals supporting recovery. 📅 Wednesday 30 September 2026 🕚 11:00am–12:00pm 💻 Microsoft Teams There is no need to register. Simply use the link below to join the webinar shortly before it begins: Join the webinar: https://lnkd.in/eM3NWCxm

Today: What does healing really look like? The impact of Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse (TACSA) does not simply end when the abuse stops. For many victims and survivors, digital permanence, anxiety and unexpected triggers can continue to shape everyday life. This morning, the second webinar of our Life Beyond TACSA series will centre lived experience in a conversation about navigating those ongoing effects, finding ways to move forward, and what recovery can look like over time. This series is intended primarily for victims and survivors, while also offering important insight for parents, carers and professionals supporting recovery. 📅 Today 🕚 11:00am–12:00pm 💻 Microsoft Teams There is no need to register. Simply use the link below to join the webinar shortly before it begins: Join the webinar: https://lnkd.in/eVuBnNsa

What does healing really look like? The impact of Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse (TACSA) does not simply end when the abuse stops. For many victims and survivors, digital permanence, anxiety and unexpected triggers can continue to shape everyday life. Next week in the second webinar of our Life Beyond TACSA series, lived experience will be at the centre of a conversation about navigating those ongoing effects, finding ways to move forward, and what recovery can look like over time. This series is intended primarily for victims and survivors, while also offering important insight for parents, carers and professionals supporting recovery. 📅 Wednesday 23 September 2026 🕚 11:00am–12:00pm 💻 Microsoft Teams There is no need to register. Simply use the link below to join the webinar shortly before it begins: Join the webinar: https://lnkd.in/eVuBnNsa

Today: How do you rebuild trust when systems let you down? For many victims and survivors of Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse (TACSA), the response they receive after abuse can have a lasting impact on recovery. This morning, our Learning Through Lived Experience programme returns with the first webinar in our new series, Life Beyond TACSA. Today’s conversation will explore the impact of institutional responses, rebuilding trust, and navigating recovery when those experiences become part of the trauma. This series is intended primarily for victims and survivors, while also offering important insight for parents, carers and professionals supporting recovery. 📅 Today 🕚 11:00am–12:00pm 💻 Microsoft Teams There is no need to register. Simply use the link below to join the webinar shortly before it begins: Join the webinar: https://lnkd.in/envRzcXN

What happens when the systems meant to protect you become part of the harm? For many victims and survivors of Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse (TACSA), the response they receive after abuse can have a lasting impact on recovery. Tomorrow, our Learning Through Lived Experience webinar programme returns with a new three-part series: Life Beyond TACSA. The first webinar ‘How do you rebuild trust when systems let you down?’ will explore the impact of institutional responses, what happens when those experiences become part of the trauma, and the difficult process of rebuilding trust and moving forward. This series is intended primarily for victims and survivors, while also offering important insight for parents, carers and professionals supporting recovery. 📅 Wednesday 16 September 2026 🕚 11:00am–12:00pm 💻 Microsoft Teams There is no need to register. Simply use the link below to join the webinar shortly before it begins: Join the webinar: https://lnkd.in/envRzcXN

📢 Webinar reminder Today, at 11am, we’ll be talking about ‘bad’ behaviour…and are we interpreting it correctly? Children communicate their distress through changes in behaviour that can easily be misunderstood! 📅 Today, 02 September 2026 🕚 11:00am–12:00pm 💻 Microsoft Teams There is no need to register. Simply use the link below to join the webinar shortly before it begins: Join the webinar: https://lnkd.in/ekYEQv_N This is the third webinar in a 3-part series exploring some of the most difficult questions families face when impacted by Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse (TACSA). With a combination of specialist insight and lived experience, these webinars offer practical guidance, resources and trauma-aware approaches to support children on their recovery journey