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Last Updated on 5th April 2024

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15th March 2023

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The focus of this year’s National Child Exploitation Awareness Day is on child sexual exploitation. The day aims to highlight issues on the topic and encourage people to think, spot and speak out against abuse.

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. We all have a role to play in raising awareness about all forms of exploitation to enable safeguarding professionals, the public, parents and carers, as well as the children and young people in our lives, to recognise the signs of exploitation.

What is Child Sexual Exploitation?

Child sexual exploitation is a type of child sexual abuse which can happen to any child.
It happens when someone uses grooming behaviours (building a relationship based on trust or connection) alongside the promise of money, gifts, affection, protection, or status in exchange for sexual activity with a child or young person. This can happen in organised groups, in personal relationships, and with known perpetrators.

Anyone can be a perpetrator of child sexual exploitation regardless of their age, gender, class, or ethnicity. In some cases, perpetrators will use positions of trust to access or normalise sexual activity with vulnerable children and young people.

CSE can happen both on and offline. It is often combined with other forms of abuse including threats, physical violence, and psychological manipulation. It may have occurred even if the sexual activity appears consensual.

In many cases children and young people may respect, trust, or have a bond with their abuser. This can make detection and disclosures of abuse difficult as children may not understand or recognise the exploitation within their relationship.

Young upset looking male

Police-recorded data shows that child exploitation crime rose by 10% in 2022. Between April and March of the same year, the number of Childline counselling sessions on sexual exploitation and abuse rose from 5,692 to 6,230.

In the UK, it has been assessed that there are between 550,000 – 850,000 people posing a sexual threat to children. The National Crime Agency and police are arresting an average of 842 of these people every month.

young female sitting on the floor upset

What can I do?

By understanding and recognising the vulnerability factors and behavioural signs associated with child sexual exploitation, you will be better equipped to identify and respond to instances of exploitation around you both online and offline.

A vulnerability factor is a circumstance, condition, or detail which increases the likelihood that an individual will experience or be impacted by a form of abuse. Vulnerability factors for CSE may include a child who has:

  • Been placed in the care system
  • Previous experience of sexual abuse
  • SEND or other disabilities
  • Experience of alcohol and drug use

A behavioural sign is an unusual way of behaving which indicates something is wrong. Some behavioural signs of CSE might include:

  • Not engaging with usual friends or hobbies.
  • Associating with older people or being in a relationship with someone older.
  • Missing classes or not attending school.
  • Leaving home/sneaking out late or all night and being defensive about location and activities.
  • Odd or excessive phone calls and text messages.
  • New belongings which would normally be unaffordable such as mobile phones, clothes, or jewellery.
  • Mood swings or personality changes.
  • Physical signs of abuse, like bruises or burns.
  • Being under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
  • Not sleeping, eating, or taking care of personal hygiene.
  • Engaging in a form of self-harm.
teenage male upset talking to someone

It should be noted that child sexual exploitation can take place without any of these behavioural signs being present.

Although the signs of exploitation among boys and girls can be similar, our expectations of their behaviour can greatly influence how we respond to these signs. For example, if we expect boys to be flirtatious or unemotional and expect girls to be shy or withholding, we may miss a cry for help or unusual behaviour.

Help & Support

If you suspect or are worried a child is being sexually exploited, contact the police. If the child is in immediate danger, ring 999, or 101 in a non-emergency.

You can also contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000 and Childline on 0800 11 11.

Advice

We spoke with Dr Jacqui Montgomery-Devlin, a CSE specialist based in Northern Ireland. She shares her advice from years of safeguarding research and experience in this series of videos that will support your efforts to protect the children and young people in your care.

An Introduction
To CSE

Learn more about Child Sexual Exploitation and how you can protect the children and young people in your care.

Child Sexual Exploitation: A Gendered Lens

Understand how our expectations of gender behaviours can be a barrier to recognising Child Sexual Exploitation.

Challenging Assumptions & Supporting Disclosures

Find out how you can challenge assumptions and create a supportive relationship to support children to disclose exploitation.

How to recognise the signs of CSE Advice for Foster Carers

Hear advice for foster carers on how to recognise and seek support if they suspect Child Sexual Exploitation.

Barriers to Recognising Male Child Sexual Exploitation

Learn more about the barriers that can prevent you from recognising Child Sexual Exploitation among boys.

Male Child Sexual Exploitation: Advice for Professionals

Hear how professionals can create an enabling environment for young people to disclose exploitation and abuse.

Advice for Professionals When Working with Male Victims of CSE

Find out how professionals can work together to tackle the issue and best support male victims of Child Sexual Exploitation.

 

For further learning in safeguarding education, take a look at our selection of Training Courses, including Child Sexual Exploitation. Find out more here.

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Pause, Think
and Plan

Guidance on how to talk to the children in your care about online risks.

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The Home Learning Hub is our free library of resources to support parents and carers who are taking the time to help their children be safer online.

 

 

2024-04-05T09:48:16+01:00
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