The Scotland police data revealed that sexual offences against children in the country have increased almost three fold in the last five years, including rape, online grooming, and sexual assault. The UK based children's charity, National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) data reveals that between 2019 and 2020, there were 5311 recorded offences, which showed a 30% increase compared to 5 years earlier. Furthermore, the latest data reveal girls are 5 times more likely to be victims and 45% of the crimes are reported against children under 13. 

The NSPCC Scotland's head of service Matt Forde has shared that while Scotland has launched numerous plans and initiatives to protect children from sexual exploitation and harmful sexual behaviour, it is crucial to have a holistic approach to tackling crime against children. The NSPCC Scotland has now called on the Scottish government to produce a strategy to combat child sexual abuse.