NOTA as an organisation is focused on and dedicated to evidence-based policy and practice. NOTA members embody this in the work that they do daily in responding to and preventing sexual abuse in all of its forms. Part of the role of NOTA, in addition to establishing good policy and practice through research and practitioner engagement, is to communicate this to not only its members but also to other relevant professionals and the public. The more that we are aware of the reality of sexual abuse, the more that we understand it, the more that we can make evidence-based decisions to prevent it from occurring and appropriately tailor our responses to it so that we can support everyone who has been impacted by it. 

We often talk of science communication in and across society (i.e., the practice of informing, raising awareness of science-related topics, and getting involved with audiences that include, at least in part, people from outside the science community), but this ius often framed as communicating the traditional sciences (i.e., biology, chemistry and physics), not the social or human sciences. The science behind preventing and responding to sexual abuse (i.e., the research, policy and practice) needs to be communicated to society at all levels of the socio-ecological model (i.e., individual, interpersonal, community, and societal) so that everyone can understand the science, how its implemented and how it is having an impact. We should think about how we as a research and practice community communicate of the science of our responses to and prevention of sexual abuse to a varied range of audiences (i.e., the general public, politicians, the press, and other related, but distinct frontline workers) in the same way we think of who we communicate about STEM subjects, engineering, and/or agriculture. 

Today, we are relaunching the NOTA blog to provide a platform for communicating the science behind understanding sexual abuse. 

Sexual abuse is a broad concept with an array of behaviours and individuals involved, whether it be adult sexual abuse or rape, child sexual abuse between adults and children, harmful sexual behaviour between children and young people, or sexual abuse of older people by those younger than them. Whether it be sexual abuse committed by an individual or groups. Whether it be sexual abuse that is committed online or in person. Regardless of the sex, gender, race, or culture of the people involved, their mental health or cognitive capability is affected. NOTA members also work with individuals who have caused sexual harm, those affected by it and support the broader social networks of both. NOTA works across all these populations, conducting research, supporting and developing practice, and informing policy. This highlights the complexity of sexual abuse. NOTA members are involved in many forums and debates, all of which deserve to be spotlighted and reflected upon.  

The NOTA blog will be an opportunity for the organisation, through its membership and partners, to share their knowledge of sexual abuse, reflect upon current news and provide policy, practice and social insights to current challenges and opportunities in the field of sexual abuse. In addition to current and topical blogs, we will be showcasing articles from NOTA News and contributions from the Journal of Sexual Aggression. The NOTA blog will be published bi-monthly, featuring one member’s blog and one NOTA News/Journal of Sexual Aggression blog per month. We encourage members to approach us with their ideas for blogs and to collaborate with us in creating a science communication platform that fosters a better understanding of the prevention of and response to sexual abuse across society.