UNITED KINGDOM
The Guardian
Tara Conlan
Tuesday 2 February 2016
Use of the words “historic”, “victims” and “child pornography” should be avoided when reporting on children who have been abused, according to new media guidelines from the National Association for People Abused in Childhood.
In the wake of revelations about abuse carried out years ago by Jimmy Savile and other celebrities, the term “historic child abuse” has been widely used in newspapers and television as part of broader discussion of the issue. But Napac’s guidelines put forward language survivors would prefer journalists to use and also offer case studies.
As rapes or murders are not referred to as “historic” Napac says the word should be avoided to describe sexual abuse because, “there is nothing historic” for those who survived abuse as many are still living with the consequences.
Instead the organisation suggests reporters use the phrase “non-recent child abuse” or state the decade in which the alleged crime took place.
Napac also says that “many adults who were abused as children prefer to be known as ‘survivors’ rather than ‘victims’”, although it recognises that the word “victim” often has to be used in a legal context.
And the guidelines also ask the media to avoid using the terms “rent boy” and “child pornography” and instead write “indecent images of children or child abuse images” and “sexually exploited child”.
When speaking to those who have been abused, Napac advises reporters to “not generalise or make assumptions about the impact of child abuse on an individual survivor”.
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