Analysis and research
Much of the work our Analysis and Research focuses on contributes to enhancing our understanding of the scale, nature and threat of child sexual abuse and exploitation. Their work includes the Complex and Organised Child Sexual Abuse and Database (COCAD) which informs the annual Group-Based Offending Publication. The team also produces annual reports (both regional and force level) which are shared with forces and regional organised crime units (ROCUs), and a quarterly report which is shared with government.
The team is headed up by Angie Jones, our Analysis and Research Manager and includes a Senior Researcher and Senior Analyst who each manage five researchers and four analysts from a range of backgrounds in policing, safeguarding and research.
In 2025, we’ll be introducing a Senior Data Analyst and two Data Analysts into the team.
The team work alongside regional analysts from the ROCUs, whilst also being available to provide support to local force analysts and researchers.
Complex and Organised Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Database (COCAD)
The team manage the gathering of police recorded Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation data nationally within the Child Protection Abuse Investigation Database.
Working from within this data set the Complex and Organised Child Abuse Database (COCAD) was launched in 2023. This data set has now been released for two years as the Group-Based Offending Publication, with the release gaining national media coverage.
This single data request to forces has additionally serviced the needs of the Vulnerability Knowledge and Practise Programme (VKPP), National Crime Agency and the regional Child Sexual Exploitation analyst network and contributed to many pieces of work such as the VKPP Totality report.
In the most recent publication of the Group-Based Offending Publication (November 2024), the team were able to spotlight certain areas of interest, such as children offending against children. This has provided policing and partner agencies with a greater depth of knowledge and allowed them to forecast possible trends in offending.
Click here to read the full Group-Based Offending Publication.
How does the team contribute to policing more broadly?
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The data we produce for forces and regions is used to inform regional and force resource allocation to CSAE crimes and prevention activity.
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The team shares learning and best practise with other researchers and analysts across the country to contribute to improvements in data collection and research.
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The Group-Based Offending publication receives national media coverage, raising awareness of the scale and nature of CSAE both to decision makers (such as government and local authorities) and the wider public.
What's next for the team?
- The team are in the early stages of piloting a new data set for COCAD, looking at the data collection from forces upon cases closing.
- We are conducting ‘deep dive’ research to provide us with greater details into some specific areas of the COCAD data set.
- We are looking to introduce Power BI into the team in the coming months.
- We will be recruiting new roles into the team.