Accompanying research on the "Sexual Abuse" helpline of the Independent Commissioner for Child Sexual Abuse Issues (UBSKM)

Sexual abuse, violence against children and young people, affected persons, counselling services, accompanying research, reappraisal process, participation

Accompanying research help telephone: 01/2016-12/2026

Preliminary study online counselling: 01/2024-12/2024

Triggered by the so-called "abuse scandal", a social and political reappraisal process has been underway since 2010 with the aim of improving the situation of those affected by sexual abuse and protecting children and young people from sexual violence. From the very beginning, the expertise of those affected was seen as an important basis for the development of innovations and those affected were invited to actively participate in the process. One possibility for participation is offered by the Sexual Abuse Helpline of the Independent Commissioner for Child Sexual Abuse Issues (UBSKM), which is organised by N.I.N.A. e. V.. At this nationwide, free and anonymous contact point, victims, relatives and professionals can find counselling, a listening ear and support, as well as participate in the process of coming to terms with the abuse by sharing their experiences and expressing their concerns.

The accompanying research project is intended to provide a scientifically sound description of the use of the helpline, ensure the quality of the service and underpin the specialist policy work of the UBSKM.

Data is collected anonymously during telephone conversations, subject to consent. The counsellors on the phone conduct the counselling sessions and enter the reported data afterwards or during them into a data collection grid that was specially developed for this project. The grid also serves as a conversation guide and, in addition to clickable predetermined answer categories, also contains free text fields for writing down verbatim quotes and analogous descriptions. The data is analysed quantitatively and qualitatively by our working group.

Following a pilot phase in which the survey grid was optimised in terms of practicability and content, the main survey phase has been underway since mid-January 2016. During this phase, the questions and focal points in the grid were continuously changed and adapted depending on current topics, interests and debates. The project is currently in its third phase: our research group is now increasingly focusing on evaluating the telephone counselling service and exploring issues that are underrepresented in research in a differentiated manner - such as the role of female perpetrators, technology-supported child sexual abuse, affected young people and the role of professionals. In the meantime (as of the beginning of 2024), the telephone contact centre has received over 24,000 calls, from which over 15,000 analysable data sets were obtained by agreeing to participate in the accompanying research. Evaluation results have so far been made available to the UBSKM in the form of interim reports and specific issues have been addressed in scientific publications (for more information, see 'Publications and reports').

Preliminary study accompanying research on online counselling

In addition to telephone counselling on the helpline, N.I.N.A. e. V. also offers anonymous online counselling. The association's internal documentation shows that more younger people and professionals contact the written counselling service. For young people in particular, the topic of digital violence and their experiences of sexualised violence appear to be increasingly at the forefront of counselling. Initial impressions show the potential of supplementary accompanying research into online counselling in addition to the help telephone. With the participatory involvement of those affected in the planning of possible accompanying research, its feasibility and implementation will be analysed and designed using different methodological approaches as part of a one-year preliminary study.

For further information on the publications, please contact us: begleitforschung.hilfe-telefon[at]uniklinik-ulm.de

Open Access

Gerke, J. Öttl, P., König, E., Fegert, J. M., Hoffmann, U. & Rassenhofer, M. (2024). Female-Perpetrated Child Sexual Abuse: A Vignette Study Investigating Professionals' Gender-Related Perception Bias and the Influence of an E-Learning-Course. Int. Journal on Child Malt.https://doi.org/10.1007/s42448-024-00193-0

Gerke, J., Stachelscheid, A., Mattstedt, F., Fegert, J.M. & Rassenhofer, M. Expertise on terminology and frequencies in the field of organised sexualised and ritual violence(pdf)

Gerke, J., Gförer, T., Mattstedt, F.-M., Hoffmann, U., Fegert, J. M. & Rassenhofer, M. (2023). Long-term mental health consequences of female- versus male-perpetrated child sexual abuse. Child Abuse & Neglect, 143(2023).https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106240

Gerke, J., Fegert, J. M., & Rassenhofer, M. (2019). "The attention of my teacher helped me to survive" - School as a place of resilience. Learning and Learning Disorders, 8(2), 112-120. https://doi.org/10.1024/2235-0977/a000257

Fegert, J. M., Rassenhofer, M., & Gerke, J. (2017). Alleviating the consequences of suffering. DJI Impulse, 2(116), 17-20.

Bergmann, C. (2011). Final Report of the Independent Commissioner for the Investigation of Child Sexual Abuse. Office of the Independent Commissioner for the Investigation of Child Sexual Abuse. https://beauftragte-missbrauch.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Publikation_-_Abschlussberichte/Abschlussbericht-der-Unabhaengigen-Beauftragten-zur-Aufarbeitung-des-sexuellen-Kindesmissbrauchs.pdf

Licence required (abstract available)

Stachelscheid, A., Maradei, G., Gerke, J., Öttl, P., Lipke, K., & Rassenhofer, M. (2022). "What do I have to consider? I don't want to do anything wrong". Trauma & Violence, 16(4), 322-339. https://doi.org/10.21706/tg-16-4-322

Gerke, J., Lipke, K., Fegert, J. M., & Rassenhofer, M. (2021). Mothers as perpetrators and bystanders of child sexual abuse. Child Abuse & Neglect, 117, 105068. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105068

Gerke, J., Rassenhofer, M., Witt, A., Sachser, C., & Fegert, J. M. (2020). Female-Perpetrated Child Sexual Abuse: Prevalence Rates in Germany. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 29(3), 263-277. https://doi.org/10.1080/10538712.2019.1685616

Fegert, J. M., Gerke, J., & Rassenhofer, M. (2018). Enormous professional lack of understanding towards traumatised persons. Neurology, 37(7/8), 525-534. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0038-1668320

Rassenhofer, M., Zimmer, A., Spröber, N., & Fegert, J. M. (2015). Child sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church in Germany: Comparison of victim-impact data collected through church-sponsored and government-sponsored programmes. Child Abuse & Neglect, 40, 60-67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2014.11.013

Spröber, N., Schneider, T., Rassenhofer, M., Seitz, A., Liebhardt, H., König, L., & Fegert, J. M. (2014). Child sexual abuse in religiously affiliated and secular institutions: A retrospective descriptive analysis of data provided by victims in a government-sponsored reappraisal programme in Germany. BMC Public Health, 14(1), 282. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-14-282

Fegert, J. M., Bergmann, C., Spröber, N., & Rassenhofer, M. (2013). Sexual abuse stress and medical and therapeutic treatment. Neurology, 32(11), 827-833. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0038-1628558

Rassenhofer, M., Spröber, N., Schneider, T., & Fegert, J. M. (2013). Listening to victims: Use of a Critical Incident Reporting System to enable adult victims of childhood sexual abuse to participate in a political reappraisal process in Germany. Child Abuse & Neglect, 37(9), 653-663. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2013.05.007

Spröber, N., König, L., Rassenhofer, M., König, C., Seitz, A., & Fegert, J. M. (2011). Development, implementation and first results of a web-based survey grid for the telephone contact centre of the Independent Commissioner for the Investigation of Child Sexual Abuse in Germany. Childhood and Development, 20(2), 83-94. https://doi.org/10.1026/0942-5403/a000044

Independent Commissioner for Child Sexual Abuse Issues (UBSKM)