Michele Elliott OBE is an author, psychologist, teacher and the founder and director of child protection charity Kidscape.[1] She has chaired World Health Organisation and Home Office working groups and is a Winston Churchill fellow.[2]
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Elliott was born in the United States. She has a Masters's degree in Psychology[3] She began working with families and children in 1968, moving to the United Kingdom in 1971. She has dual citizenship of the UK and USA.[4]
Elliott worked as a guidance councillor at The American School in London, where her husband was a social studies teacher.[5]
Elliott founded Kidscape in 1984 in order to help children stay safe.[6]
Elliott has been a high profile figure and Kidscape was named Charity of the Year in 2000. Writing in The Guardian, David Brindle suggested the award was "an undoubted reflection of the vibrancy of Michele Elliott".[7]
Elliott has undertaken pioneering work in investigating and raising awareness of the problem and extent of female paedophilia.
In 1992 Elliott published her book Female Sexual Abuse of Children The Last Taboo", the first book to address the issue of sexual abuse by women.[8] The book was well received by professionals and survivors' organisations. Mike Lew described it as "an important and challenging work", helping "to forge a new understanding of the issues".[9] Doody's annual stated it was "an extremely valuable book for all professionals, and it greatly increases the current state of knowledge, or lack of that knowledge, that can have a profound influence on the survivor's development and recovery".[10]
Elliott's work in exposing the issue of female paedophilia has also resulted in hostility from feminists. While compiling Female Sexual Abuse of Children Elliott organised a conference in London concerning sexual abuse by females. After publishing the book Elliott was subject to a "deluge" of hate mail from feminists.[11]
In 2008 Elliot was honoured with an OBE by the Queen for services to children.[6] The following year she was named Children and Young People’s Champion.[12] She was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Birmingham in 2003.[13][14]
Elliot is married to Ed and they have two sons.[15] She lives in Rye, East Sussex.[6][16]