Tink Palmer has been in social work practice since 1973 and gained her professional qualifications in 1975. Since that time she has participated in numerous post-graduate training courses – including counselling, family therapy and forensic investigation. Tink has worked with children and their families for the past forty years. In the past twenty-five years she has specialised in child sexual abuse and is an experienced clinical and forensic practitioner, manager, trainer, policy maker and strategist.
Tink first began working with children abused via the new technology in 1999 and has since developed a professional interest and expertise in this area – particularly regarding the forensic and recovery needs of the children and young people. In 2004, she jointly authored a report entitled Just one click! which outlined the ways in which the new technology can act as a conduit for the abuse of children, the differential impacts on the young victims and new approaches to intervention programmes. Since this publication, Tink has written widely on the issue of harm to children online
Tink has an interest in all issues regarding the sexual abuse of children and, to this end, has written on numerous matters pertaining to child sexual abuse. She is experienced in working with the media and takes every opportunity to highlight the issues facing children abused via the internet. Tink is a member of numerous government steering groups, committees and boards that aim to raise public awareness, to improve service provision and to ensure that best practice ensues on a national and international basis.
Between 2004 and 2008 Tink was the Director of Stop it Now! UK & Ireland which is an awareness raising campaign regarding child sexual abuse. In 2012 she founded the Marie Collins Foundation which is a charity dedicated to the recovery needs of children abused and harmed online.
In 2014 Tink accepted the role of Visiting Professor at University Campus Suffolk.
