Sexual Abuse, Victims and Survivors, Telephone Helpline, Accompanying Research, Follow-up Process, Participation

Accompanying Research Helpline: 01/2016-12/2026

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

Triggered by the so-called "abuse scandal", a social and political process has been underway since 2010 to address and improve the situation of those affected by sexual abuse. This process also aims to protect children and young people from sexual violence. From the beginning, the expertise of those affected has been seen as a crucial basis for developing new measures, and they have been invited to actively participate in the process. One way of participating is the Sexual Abuse Helpline of the Independent Commissioner for Child Sexual Abuse Issues (UBSKM), which is run by N.I.N.A. e.V. This nationwide, free and anonymous contact point offers victims, their relatives and professionals advice, a listening ear and support, as well as a platform to share their experiences and contribute to the process.

The accompanying research project aims to provide a scientifically sound description of the use of the helpline, to ensure the quality of the service and to support the policy work of the UBSKM. Data is collected anonymously with consent during telephone conversations. The counsellors conduct the counselling sessions and subsequently or simultaneously enter the reported data into a specially developed data collection framework. This framework also serves as an interview guide, with pre-defined response categories and free text fields for recording direct quotes and paraphrased descriptions. Our research group analyses the data both quantitatively and qualitatively.

Following a pilot phase to optimise the practicality and content of the data collection framework, the main data collection phase has been underway since mid-January 2016. During this phase, the questions and focus of the framework have been continuously adjusted based on current issues, interests and debates. The project is currently in its third phase: our research group is now focusing more on evaluating the helpline and exploring under-represented research questions, such as the role of female perpetrators, technology-assisted child sexual abuse, affected adolescents or the role of professionals. By the beginning of 2024, the helpline had received over 24,000 calls, resulting in over 15,000 analysable datasets through consent to participate in the accompanying research. Evaluation results have been provided to the UBSKM in the form of interim reports, and specific questions have been addressed in scientific publications (see 'Publications and reports' for details).

Feasibility study on the possibility of an accompanying research of the online counselling

In addition to the telephone helpline, N.I.N.A. e.V. also offers anonymous online counselling. The organisation's internal documentation shows that younger people and professionals are more likely to seek written counselling. Among young people, issues related to digital violence and experiences of sexualised violence in digital contexts are particularly prominent in counselling sessions. First impressions show the potential for accompanying research on online counselling in addition to the helpline. With the participatory involvement of those affected in the planning of potential accompanying research, a one-year preliminary study will investigate and design its feasibility and implementation using different methodological approaches.

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., 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. Lernen und Lernstörungen, 8(2), 112–120. https://doi.org/10.1024/2235-0977/a000257

Fegert, J. M., Rassenhofer, M., & Gerke, J. (2017). Die Folgen des Leids lindern. DJI Impulse, 2(116), 17–20.

Bergmann, C. (2011). Abschlussbericht der Unabhängigen Beauftragten zur Aufarbeitung des sexuellen Kindesmissbrauchs. Geschäftsstelle der Unabhängigen Beauftragten zur Aufarbeitung des sexuellen Kindesmissbrauchs. 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). »Was muss ich bedenken? Ich will nichts falsch machen«. Trauma & Gewalt, 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). Enormes professionelles Unverständnis gegenüber Traumatisierten. Nervenheilkunde, 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 programs. 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 program 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). Belastungen durch sexuellen Missbrauch und medizinische und therapeutische Behandlung. Nervenheilkunde, 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). Entwicklung, Implementierung und erste Ergebnisse eines webbasierten Erhebungsrasters für die telefonische Anlaufstelle der Unabhängigen Beauftragten zur Aufarbeitung des sexuellen Kindesmissbrauchs in Deutschland. Kindheit und Entwicklung, 20(2), 83–94. https://doi.org/10.1026/0942-5403/a000044

Independent Commissioner for Child Sexual Abuse Issues (UBSKM)