This report presents the findings of a global study on the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of care leavers - young people who have transitioned out of institutional or alternative care. Conducted across multiple regions, the research brings forward the lived experiences of care leavers and highlights the systemic factors that expose them to abuse and exploitation both during and after care.
Despite increasing global awareness of violence against children in institutions, the specific vulnerabilities faced by care leavers remain poorly documented. This study responds to that gap by offering a comprehensive analysis of the patterns, enablers, and consequences of sexual abuse within the care-to-independence journey. It also provides evidence-based recommendations for governments, institutions, and child protection actors.
The findings reveal that many care leavers experience sexual abuse within institutional settings, often at the hands of individuals in positions of authority. Others face exploitation after exiting care, particularly through transactional sex, coercion, or manipulation linked to poverty and the absence of social support. The exploitation is often international – some children are trafficked across borders; in other cases, children and adults are exploited online by people who volunteered in or donated to the institutions.
Most victims of sexual abuse are girls, though boys are also at risk. Children with disabilities are at a higher risk of abuse, as are Black and minority ethnic children.
The research identifies recurring challenges including lack of accountability mechanisms, weak safeguarding systems, and inadequate transition planning that perpetuate cycles of vulnerability. At the same time, the report highlights resilience and agency among care leavers. Many have used their experiences to advocate for change, provide peer support, and challenge silence within institutions.
The lack of tailored, sustainable support systems for care leavers intensifies these challenges, making them vulnerable to homelessness, insecure incomes, isolation and mental health struggles. This puts care-leavers at high risk of exploitative relationships, repeating the patterns of abuse from their childhood. At times, their childhood abuser continues to exploit them in adulthood. This cycle of abuse underscores the need to end institutionalisation and ensure comprehensive post-care support to mitigate the long-term consequences for care leavers.
The report calls for urgent, coordinated action to: prevent sexual abuse and sexual exploitation; strengthen protection systems; invest in aftercare services, and create survivor-centered justice and accountability mechanisms for care leavers. It emphasizes that ending sexual abuse and exploitation of care leavers is not only a matter of protection but also of justice, dignity, and human rights.
