UK leads Europe in policies to protect children and adolescents from sexual violence but falls short of minimum standard, global Index finds

Advocates warn “alarming” gaps remain in child protection

• The 2026 Out of the Shadows Index ranks 60 countries, across six regions – together home to 83% of the world’s children – on national action to address sexual violence against children and adolescents.
• The United Kingdom ranks 1st in Europe and 2nd out of 60 countries globally with an overall score of 78/100. 
• Advocates call for the UK to update its National Action Plan with needed best practices, among other measures.
• The UK committed in 2024 to establishing a Ministerial-level taskforce to promote safe learning and to act to address the increasing threats of AI-generated child sexual abuse material. 
• The United Kingdom has enacted legislation specific to child sexual abuse material (CSAM), defined "child sexual abuse material" in law, criminalised technology-facilitated CSAM offenses and criminalised the knowing possession of CSAM, regardless of the intent to distribute.

GENEVA, May 18, 2026 — The United Kingdom ranks 2nd out of 60 countries globally, in the 2026 Out of the Shadows Index, a new global benchmark assessing countries based on the minimum laws, policies, and services necessary to address sexual violence against children and adolescents. The Index, researched and developed by Economist Impact with advocacy led by Together for Girls, assesses 60 countries representing 83% of the world’s children across 4 pillars: Governance and Accountability (coordinated national action); Prevention (child protection); Healing (high-quality care); and Justice (strong legal systems). The Index does not measure the prevalence of such violence. 

“Behind every data point in this Index is a child whose life has been shaped by violence,” said Elly Vaughan, who led the research at Economist Impact. “While the UK scores relatively well in the Index, gaps persist, particularly when it comes to ensuring survivors can access timely, free and integrated recovery services and support.”

The UK’s scores on the four pillars are as follows:

1. Governance and Accountability: 75.3/100 
2. Prevention: 80/100 
3. Healing: 65/100 
4. Justice: 82.4/100 

“The Out of the Shadows Index measures the minimum standard, so it is alarming that a score of 78 out of 100 is considered the ‘best in Europe’. It highlights how much work still urgently needs to be done before all children are truly safe,” said Matthew McVarish, Brave Movement Co-founder, UK. “Many victims and survivors still lack access to any kind of support and two key funding streams for survivor support services have closed since the Index data was gathered. The UK Government has failed to fully implement the recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, a key mechanism for accountability and reform. Unless urgent action is taken, the UK’s score of 65 out of 100 for its efforts to support healing will fall even further next year. This is no time for complacency. The Index shows how far we still have to go – and provides a clear roadmap for what governments must do to end sexual violence.”

Despite strengths and a relatively strong ranking, gaps remain. Together for Girls, the advocacy lead for the Out of the Shadows Index, identified recommendations for the government of the United Kingdom to improve its systems, including:

• Fully establish and publicly announce a functioning Government-funded National Survivor Council.
• Ban corporal punishment of children and adolescents in all settings.
• Establish mandatory medical provider training to identify and respond to sexual violence against children and adolescents.

With a global commitment to eliminate childhood sexual violence by 2030 — and no country currently on track — the findings underscore the need for sustained prevention-focused investment and continued strengthening of survivor-informed policymaking.

PRESS CONTACTS

For questions about the research, contact: media@economist.com

For questions about how to use the Index to drive advocacy and engagement efforts, contact: Christy Delafield christy@togetherforgirls.org 

Notes to editors:

Support and resources: If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, support is available. Find resources by country.

About the Out of the Shadows Index: The Out of the Shadows Index is the global benchmark of national governments' efforts to prevent and respond to sexual violence against children and adolescents. The Index is researched and developed by Economist Impact, with advocacy and engagement efforts led by Together for Girls.

It ranks 60 countries across 6 regions, which together are home to 83% of the world’s children. The Index scores countries across 23 indicators, covering laws, policies, programs, and services that a government should have in place to end sexual violence against children and adolescents in their country.

First launched in 2019 and updated in 2022, the 2026 edition marks its third iteration, and the 4th will be launched in 2027.

About the Out of the Shadows Index UK data: There are 14.4 million children in the U.K., which represents 11% of the region's total population under the age of 18.

In 2021, the Home Office established the first-ever Tackling Child Sexual Abuse Strategy for England and Wales. Similarly, Scotland published Equally Safe: Scotland’s Strategy for Preventing and Eradicating Violence Against Women and Girls in 2023. 

The UK demonstrates leadership in elevating the voices of survivor advocates to advise the government on matters related to sexual violence against children. The country also shows leadership in child and youth engagement, operating a Youth Parliament since 1999, which works on issues related to child protection and violence. In 2025, a Youth Select Committee within the Youth Parliament published a report on its first-ever enquiry into social media and violence. 

At the first-ever Global Ministerial on Ending Violence Against Children in Bogotá, Colombia, in November, 2024, the UK pledged to address sexual violence against children in schools and alternative care settings and online. Specifically, the country committed to establishing a Ministerial-level taskforce to promote safe learning and to act to address the increasing threats of AI-generated child sexual abuse material. In March 2026, the 2025 Crime and Policing Bill was advancing through Parliamentary processes. The UK’s pledges further reaffirmed the country’s goal of cutting violence against women and girls by half by 2034.

Among G7 countries, the UK scored highest on Brave’s 2025 G7 scorecard. It is one of the few G7 countries that has eliminated the criminal statutes of limitations for sexual violence against children and leads the group of nations in online safety reforms.

In 2022, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCDO) hosted the second-ever international Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PVSI) Conference in London. During the conference, Together for Girls and the Brave Movement, alongside the FCDO and other civil society partners, co-created a session highlighting the crucial role of education in protecting children, supporting survivors and preventing sexual violence in conflict. Suresh Chhetry, Co-Founder of the Brave Movement and SAGE member, spoke on a panel during the event about the impact of survivors’ voices in formulating solutions.