Survivor-led practice-based knowledge drove the creation of a confidential disclosure mechanism for children. Designed to overcome the barriers children face in reporting abuse it has now expanded nationally and internationally.
Victims and/or survivors often hold the clearest understanding of why systems fail to protect children, what prevents disclosure, and what support is most meaningful. When these insights are intentionally reflected on and acted upon, they can spark practical innovations such as child-friendly reporting mechanisms that transform prevention and response in real-world settings.
What these case studies show
These case studies illustrate how practice-based knowledge (PbK) is used in real world settings to improve childhood sexual violence prevention and response. Each case focuses on what practitioners or survivor-led groups learned through action, reflection, and decision-making in their own contexts, and how that knowledge was taken forward.
What these case studies do and do not do
The case studies do not aim to produce generalisable findings. Instead, they offer context-specific insight into how practice unfolds, where challenges emerge, and how actors respond in real time. The absence of evaluation or impact data should not be interpreted as evidence for or against effectiveness.
How to use these insights in your own work
These case studies are intended to support reflection rather than replication. Readers may find them useful for:
Ethical use and limitations
Documenting and sharing PbK requires careful attention to safety, consent, power, and potential harm, particularly when engaging with sensitive experiences of child sexual violence. The ethical principles guiding this work are set out in the PbK Guidance Framework
Scope and limits of the knowledge shared
Each case study reflects the type and depth of knowledge available within its context. Differences in format, detail, and focus reflect variation in purpose, access, and the conditions under which knowledge was documented and shared.
Content warning
Some of the case studies include details of childhood sexual violence. Each case study includes specific content notes to support informed engagement. Please take care of your well-being as you read and step away if needed. For additional support, you may find it helpful to consult the following resources:
The Butterfly Mailbox initiative was launched in France in response to the need for more accessible, private, and effective disclosure channels for children. Founded by Laurent Boyet, a police officer and survivor of child sexual violence - and combined with his observations of children’s difficulty reporting abuse - the Butterfly Mailbox places confidentiality and accessibility at its core.
In a society where fear of retaliation, disbelief, and stigma often silence children, this innovation responded to urgent gaps in child protection systems.
What was learned from practice-based knowledge:
These insights informed the creation of Les Boîtes aux lettres Papillons (Butterfly Mailboxes). Children can write and submit anonymous letters about all forms of abuse or childhood sexual violence. Letters are collected by local authorities and reviewed by psychologists, who assess risks and forward cases for further investigation.
“ Listening directly to the people we want to protect was the key element. ”
Mayor of Saint-Clément, France
On the very first day a mailbox was installed in a school in eastern France in 2022, a 10-year-old girl disclosed abuse by her grandfather. An investigation revealed ongoing intra-familial abuse of three children. Within months, the perpetrator was convicted and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
In its first year, more than 30,000 messages were submitted across France. The initiative has since expanded to Germany, and schools in both countries continue to adopt the system.
The Butterfly Mailboxes have been widely acknowledged as a simple but powerful survivor-informed, practitioner-led service that brings hidden harms to light.
What didn’t change:
Why this matters: The value of practice-based knowledge
Boyet’s initiative turned a personal understanding of the difficulties children face into a solution that addresses systemic gaps in reporting abuse. This initiative highlights how lived expertise can directly inform the creation of practical solutions for child protection and inspire similar solutions in other contexts. Even in the face of institutional resistance, this system offers a model for others working in child safeguarding.
The Butterfly Mailboxes highlight how lived expertise can identify hidden barriers and inspire practical innovations. As you reflect on your own context, consider:
[1] Corbet, S. (2025, January 30). More schools in France are getting special mailboxes for children to flag abuse. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/france-child-abuse-mailboxes-schools-0aab2fdc116d308f2d3ebda2ba8af2bd
[2] Gendrault, F. (2025, February 4). Paris accueille sa première boîte aux lettres dédiée aux enfants victimes de violences sexuelles. Le Bonbon. https://www.lebonbon.fr/paris/societe/paris-premiere-boite-a-lettres-enfants-victimes-vss/
[3] Les Papillons. (n.d.). Association Les Papillons: Boîtes aux lettres. Kidizz. https://kidizz.com/en/association-les-papillons-boites-aux-lettres/
[4] Les Papillons. (n.d.). Libération de la parole. https://www.associationlespapillons.org/libération-de-la-parole