Childhood Sexual Abuse in UK’s Tamil Community: A Report by ANBU UK

There is a high prevalence of CSA in the Tamil community; those who identified as survivors reported a higher rate of knowing other survivors than those who did not identify as a survivor. There is a good understanding of CSA and its impact in the Tamil community; however, there is a marked gap in knowledge about access to support and information. Nearly all of the respondents (98%) highlighted that it is important to talk about CSA, highlighting space for dialogue in the Tamil community.

Nearly all respondents (99%) said children should be taught about inappropriate touch. There is high interest in wanting more information about supporting survivors emotionally, practically and legally within the Tamil community. The community being involved is an important part of the healing process

with all of the male survivors indicating that this is vital. Raising awareness and educating the community was seen as one of the best options to involve the community. Individual and collective approaches to healing were recognised as important, highlighting the need for a variety of support.

ANBU UK (Abuse Never Becomes Us UK), a charity supporting adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA), conducted a Needs Assessment in 2019, about CSA within the UK Tamil community. The main aim was to have an understanding of the awareness of CSA in the community and the research

appears to have been the first of its kind for the UK Tamil community. The Needs Assessment was shared through online and paper forms in Tamil and English.