Head over to our website to read the latest blog piece by our project lead, Ruth Beecher, where she discusses the steps we are taking to ensure our project welcoming, safe and accessible for Black survivors of child sexual abuse. shra.bbk.ac.uk/blog/reachin...

Our project is gathering testimonies to build the first social and cultural history of recovery after child sexual abuse. We have been fortunate to hear from a range of people. But....

📢 Event: Join Dr Ruth Beecher, Dr Claudia Soares and guest speaker Professor Harry Ferguson in tracing the history and sociology of child protection from the 1880s to present day. 📆 Wednesday 4 March 26 ⏰ 12:00–1:30pm 💻 Online Sign up Here: www.childprotectionprofessionals.org.uk/events/speci...

Earlier this year, we took part in a workshop on Lived Experience and Historical Research at King’s College London.

One question recurs throughout the ethnography: my interlocutors frequently express doubts about the ‘truth’ of their memories, which are often incomplete, fragmented, absent, or discredited. Some question their eligibility to participate due to gaps in their recollections.

Yesterday we posted posters and cards to survivors’ organisations across Ireland, Wales, Scotland & England with the hope that we will reach people who are not on social media and who might like to record their oral histories with us. We will preserve them & value them. Let us know if you can help.

Today it was our Beyond Labels workshop. Dr Lucy Johnstone & I worked with attendees to reframe the narrative - looking at an alternative approach to medicalising trauma. Everyone was very engaged, and discussion was valuable. #SideBySideCSA #16daysofactivism #csa @recovery-histories.bsky.social

Survivors: Help us to find out about the different ways survivors of child sexual abuse have understood trauma and found ways of living with the impact of child sexual abuse. We will recognise, value and preserve your experiences. Web: shra.bbk.ac.uk/blog/recovery-history-oral-history/

📢Your Story Matters: Help Preserve Survivors' History. We are recording the oral histories of survivors of child sexual abuse. These personal stories are invaluable-they give voice to histories that might otherwise be lost. Read more here: shra.bbk.ac.uk/blog/recover...

Why does history matter to current child protection practice? In this blog @katekatewilson.bsky.social reflects on first meeting of the new AOCPP Special Interest Group (SIG), History & Practice, which was hosted by Caring Communities and the Recovery History projects.

One of our advisory board members, Sameena Mulla, has published a new paper! www.annualreviews.org/content/jour...

Child sexual abuse also functions as a mechanism for enforcing settler colonialism. As activists, survivors, and researchers have long observed, the taboo surrounding child sexual abuse concerns the act of speaking about CSA rather than the abuse itself.

Survivors in Transition are re-running their 2015 survey about disclosure and support for people who were sexually abused in childhood. Nearly 400 people took part last time and the report helped improve services for survivors. Have things changed? RT pls www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/FocusOnSur...

Find out what these two Intrepid Ethnographers are up to by joining our Recovery Histories mailing list. Click the nasty code-y link below. After you join, you will get a bureaucratic type message about GDPR which we cannot change BUT we welcome you in advance..... my.bbk.ac.uk/ords/f?p=209...

Today, we attended a workshop co-delivered by activist, author, and our partner Sophie Olson, together with poet Jacky Power. The workshop formed part of the events organised by A Disorder 4 Everyone.

We are excited that tomorrow our project about recovering the histories of #CSASurvivors will be discussed at the first History & Practice Special Interest Group of the Association of Child Protection Professionals. FREE EVENT, DO REGISTER & COME ALONG....

Earlier this year, the Recovery Histories Project hosted its first in-person network events at Birkbeck! Check out our new blog post where you can find out more about the event programmes and key takeaways that are shaping our work moving forward. 👉 Read it here: shra.bbk.ac.uk/blog/recover...

Fantastic article exploring the complexities of remembering sexual violence during apartheid by Emily Bridger. Based on oral histories conducted with older Black South African women. Open access, y'all. doi.org/10.1093/past...

rounded in nearly 20-years of research, Jessica Ringrose and Kaitlyn Regehr, centre of voices of young people in their new book, Teens, Social Media and Image-Based Abuse.

📢 We’re live! Excited to announce that the first Recovery Histories newsletter launched last week! 📢 👉 If you are new to our page and our project, why not sign up to our mailing list to get the next issue straight to your inbox: my.bbk.ac.uk/ords/f?p=209...

In this influential article Nick Haslam introduces the concept of 'concept creep'. Haslam presents six key concepts in psychology: abuse, bullying, trauma, mental disorder, addiction, and prejudice.

In case you missed it, CfP #humour and #sexualviolence shra.bbk.ac.uk/blog/cfp-hum...

“Women’s recovery experiences reveal the implicit workings of power that shaped their emotional lives and recovery narratives through the negotiation of gender demands that affected their emotional capacity, material wellbeing and were plainly unjust.”

In this video from our team, our wonderful anthropologist Adeline Moussion Esteve talks about her PhD research, her work on our new project and why it all matters. #ethnography #VAWG #CSA shra.bbk.ac.uk/member/ms-ad...

@ruthbeecher.bsky.social's short video explains how she and Dr Victoria Hoyle invited a group of survivor activists, academics and practitioners to come together to discuss why histories of child sexual abuse matter & led ultimately to our project. shra.bbk.ac.uk/member/dr-ru...

Today's food for thoughts and ears, Kae Tempest's new song, 'Diagnoses'. lnkd.in/d2Srnu_J 'C-PTSD, ADHD, OCD and PMDD Anxious attachment, TBI But it's the world that's sick, baby, we're alright C-PTSD, ADHD, anxiety Bipolar, addiction, neurodivergence I'd be more worried if we weren't disturbed'

Today is the AoCPP conference, Practising Intersectionality in Child Protection. We look forward to learning from all the speakers! Program and info here: www.childprotectionprofessionals.org.uk/events/pract...

Come listen to our very own Ruth Beecher talk about co-produced research! Along with a stellar panel of speakers, she will discuss the challenges and possibilities of co-production. 9 June 2025, 18:00 — 20:00. Birkbeck 43 Gordon Square

‘Echoing the presumptions of trauma theory, the feminist recovery paradigm presumes an idealized pretraumatic self toward which healing can strive; even in cases where incest began in infancy or occurred within an already violent life (...)

Research from the CSE Centre shows that services for victim-survivors of child sexual abuse are at a critical low. We know that CSA can have long-term consequences for survivors & specialist services provide vital support. Urgent investment is essential: www.csacentre.org.uk/app/uploads/...

We would love to see you at the launch of Ruth Beecher’s new book, Community Health Practitioners and Child Sexual Abuse in the Family, 1970s-2010s, exploring the different ways doctors, health visitors, and mental health practitioners responded to child sexual abuse.

We started the week by attending a great talk by @jennycrane.bsky.social about her new book on gifted children. So child-centred, totally mesmerising and we can't wait to read it. It's at OUP and it's open access - hurray! #histchild #histeduc

Started the week with a viewing of 'Groomed: A National Scandal', a documentary that follows five young women who survived abuse and rape as a result of gang grooming spanning 20 years. It also exposes the failures of the police and social services. www.channel4.com/programmes/g...

Last week, we held our Network Event. It was two days filled with presentations and workshops led by our partners and ourselves. @joannabourke.bsky.social has just republished the paper she shared with us on her blog. www.joannabourke.com/post/the-pae...

We look forward to meeting you at our event tomorrow, a public lecture by the wonderful anthropologist Prof Sameena Mulla, flying in from the US! Book your free place here. www.bbk.ac.uk/events/event... Please RT/repost for us, and esp flag this to your London/London-adjacent friends & colleagues

We look forward to seeing you there @georgesevers.bsky.social

📢 Public Lecture with Professor Sameena Mulla | 30th April, 6pm-9pm 📢 ‘Moynihan Redux: How Courts Theorize Black Families in the Prosecution of Sexual Assault’ For more information about the talk and to register, please use the link below: lnkd.in/dsSg7EXX

This article is fascinating. "It seems clear to me now that excessive focus on self-improvement only enforces a narrative of brokenness ... The lack of a shared cultural definition of “healing” doesn’t help – what does healing mean, precisely?" www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

An amazing paper by Lesley McMillan, Rose Corrigan, @ratnagiri77.bsky.social , @gethrees.bsky.social, and Deborah White on the uses of forensic evidence and the negotiated assessment of complainants' credibility in sexual assault cases. bristoluniversitypressdigital.com/view/journal...

Stay up-to-date with our research and events by signing up to receive the Recovery Histories monthly newsletter. Just follow the link to add your email address!: www.bbk.ac.uk/interests/se...

This is a fantastic opportunity for scholarship on #WomenInSTEM #HistMed #Feminism

Does fighting for some kind of justice even if it is in a civil court help victim-survivors live better (materially or psychologically) in the aftermath of abuse or exploitation? Is there a therapeutic benefit? Know of any research about this? www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... #CSASurvivors #HistChild

Our research project includes Ireland & Scotland. If you are an org or practitioner working with individuals who have experienced CSA in these regions, we would be eager to learn more about your work. If you are interested in our research, please don't hesitate to reach out. #CSA #Ireland #Scotland

Can we bring together survivors of child sexual abuse, academic researchers and practitioners? How can we avoid silencing survivors and power imbalances? Is 'trauma-informed' a means of promoting equality? This great read addresses all these questions. bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/1...

We're just getting started on BlueSky. We have the beginnings of a Starter Pack for researchers of child sexual abuse working in the arts & humanities. If you are a researcher and would like to be added please get in touch! go.bsky.app/oB6szL

🧵 End-of-week reflection! Language is powerful. There are many terms and labels used to describe or define experiences of sexual violence and abuse: 'victim', 'survivor', 'victim-survivor', 'survivor-activist', 'survivor-advocate' are but a few...

Another great read today! Rachel Pain conceptualises commoning as an 'alternative promise of collective care in an era of shrinking and neoliberalising service provision'. lnkd.in/dMs6uDnD

We are just revisiting this fab piece by @lucydelap.bsky.social on the history of child welfare, child protection and child sexual abuse. Shout out to @historyandpolicy.bsky.social for this fantastic free resource! www.historyandpolicy.org/policy-paper...

Our newsletter is hot off the press and is a great way of staying in the loop as our exciting new project unfolds. If you would like to sign up to our monthly newsletter, please send us an email with your contact info & we’ll add you to the mailing list! #survivors #csa #history #recovery #academic