Anne Houston: We can all help to end abuse of children HE HID in plain sight. That was the chilling conclusion of the Metropolitan Police in trying to explain how and why Jimmy Savile was able to sexually abuse children all over the UK on a massive scale. All of us at Children 1st have been shocked by this case, even with our 129 years" experience of supporting children in Scotland to recover from the trauma of sexual abuse. But we also understand how Savile managed to hide in plain sight Because it's what child abusers do. They use their power in families and communities to cover their tracks, to silence children with threats and rewards, to try and ensure they are not found out. And we as a society let them, because they are also skilled at "grooming" adults. The Met Police report makes clear that there were many opportunities to stop Savile. But people didn't see what was going on around them; they didn't hear what children were saying; they didn't speak up and voice their concerns; and they didn't act to protect children from abuse or help the ones they knew he had abused. This case has broken the taboo on child sexual abuse and we mustn't go back. We must - as Dani Garavelli suggested yesterday in The Scotsman's sister paper Scotland on Sunday - treat it as a watershed and vow, as individuals, families, communities and society, to do more to protect children from sexual abuse. It's not just celebrities who abuse children, but also people whom we might know. And, hard as that is to accept, we must take responsibility for protecting children we know. We can start by following Children 1st's twelve top tips (available from our website www.children1st.org.uk/). These are simple things we can all do every day to help keep children safe: make space to let them talk; really listen to what they tell us; look out for unusual behaviour; and don't dismiss niggling concerns - call ParentLine Scotland for advice on what to do. If we see, hear, speak and act on sexual abuse, then fewer abusers will be able to hide in plain sight and more children will have the chance to enjoy happy, healthy, safe and secure childhoods. Anne Houston is the chief executive of Children 1st, formerly known as the Royal Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children