What is The Lighthouse?
Currently, when a child or young person discloses sexual abuse, they and their families are often left to navigate the health, police and courts system by themselves. Children and young people can be asked many times by different professionals to talk about their abuse. This can make them relive the abuse and feel re-traumatised. Only 1 in 4 children and young people who report sexual abuse to the police in London receive emotional and health support (London Review of CSA pathway, 2015). And the ones that do may have to wait months for the important therapy and support they need. But, we know that up to 8 in 10 adolescents who experienced sexual abuse developed mental health problems within five months (Khadr et al, 2018). At The Lighthouse we provide a safe place for children and young people to recover from abuse at their own pace and get the justice they deserve to rebuild their lives.