Case files from the Disclosure and Barring Service are to be analysed by The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse in a bid to learn more about the behaviours of perpetrators who have sexually abused children in institutions, and to understand institutional responses to these behaviours.

Recent, anonymised DBS files which are used to decide whether or not to bar someone from working with children and/or vulnerable adults, will be analysed by the Inquiry’s research team. The files about individuals referred to the service by employers, regulators and others, will be examined regarding those where there are, or have been, concerns about an individual’s behaviour with children.

The research will look at DBS referrals across a range of institutional settings, including education, social care, foster care and sport, in England and Wales. The project aims to address gaps in knowledge around the behaviour of perpetrators who sexually abuse children in institutional settings.

Dr Verena Brähler, Head of the Inquiry’s research team said: “Through this key research, we aim to bridge the gap in understanding about the behaviours of perpetrators who have sexually abused children in institutions.

“Examining case files from the DBS across a wide range of institutions will help to further our knowledge and awareness of the contextual factors which may facilitate or fail to prevent sexual abuse from taking place in these settings,” added Dr Verena Brähler.

The DBS is an executive non-departmental public body. It processes and issues DBS checks for England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.