Safeguarding children who are exposed to Abuse Linked to Faith or Belief

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Oakley, L., Kinmond, K. S., Humprheys, J. & Dioum, M. (2019). Safeguarding children who are exposed to Abuse Linked to Faith or Belief. Child Abuse Review. 10.1002/car.2540, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/car.2540. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions.Cases of child abuse linked to faith or belief (CALFB) continue to be documented. However, there is limited research and understanding of CALFB. Further, there is a lack of clarity of definition. These factors then impact upon effective practice. Recognising this, the National Working Group for CALFB called for research on which to develop evidence-based practice. This paper reports on key findings from a mixed-method online survey which was completed by 1361 participants from a range of practitioner and community groups. The participants identified the importance of policy and multiagency working in this area, but they acknowledged the complexity and challenges associated with developing and implementing good practice. Recommendations from the study include a review of relevant policy to evaluate its application to CALFB, the development of faith literacy training for frontline practitioners and the creation of a space in which statutory, faith and community groups can dialogue