Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)
The sexual exploitation of children and young people under 18 involves exploitative situations, contexts and relationships where young people, (or a third person or persons) receive something, (e.g. food, accommodation, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, affections, gifts, money) as a result of them performing and/or others performing on them, sexual activities. Child sexual exploitation can occur through the use of technology without the child’s immediate recognition; for example being persuaded to post sexual images on the internet/mobile phones without immediate payment or gain. In all cases those exploiting the child/young person have power over them by virtue of their age, gender, intellect, physical strength and/or economic or other resources. Violence, coercion and intimidations are common, involvement in exploitative relationships being characterised in the main by the child’s or young person’s limited availability of choice, resulting from their social/economic and/or emotional vulnerability. (DCSF 2009)
Key facts about CSE
- Sexual exploitation often starts around the age of 10 years old. Girls are usually targeted from age 10 and boys from age 8.
- It affects both girls and boys and can happen in all communities.
- Any person can be targeted but there are some particularly vulnerable groups: Looked After Children, Children Leaving Care and Children with Disabilities.
- Victims of CSE may also be trafficked (locally, nationally and internationally).
- Over 70% of adults involved in prostitution were sexually exploited as children or teenagers.
- Sexual violence or abuse against children represents a major public health and social welfare problem within UK society, affecting 16% of children under 16. That is approximately 2 million children.
Good practice – Individuals
- Recognise the symptoms and distinguish them from other forms of abuse
- Treat the child/young person as a victim of abuse
- Understand the perspective / behaviour of the child/young person and be patient with them
- Help the child/young person to recognise that they are being exploited
- Collate as much information as possible
- Share information with other agencies and seek advice / refer to Social Care
Good practice – Organisations
- Ensure robust safeguarding policies and procedures are in place which cover CSE
- Promote and engage in effective multi-agency working to prevent abuse
- Work to help victims move out of exploitation
- Cooperate to enable successful investigations and prosecutions of perpetrators
Documents
- Child Sexual Exploitation - Risk Factors (.pdf format, 73Kb)
- Child Sexual Exploitation - Health-related Issues (.pdf format, 80Kb)
- Safeguarding Children from Sexual Exploitation - Department of Education (.pdf format, 771Kb)
- 'Out of Sight, Out of Mind' - CEOP Thematic Analysis - Executive Summary (.pdf format, 842Kb)
- 'Out of Sight, Out of Mind' - CEOP Thematic Analysis - Full Report (.pdf format, 4.84Mb)
Useful Links
The National Working Group
http://www.nationalworkinggroup.org/what_is_child_sexual_exploitation
TheUnited Kingdom Human Trafficking Centre (UKHTC)
http://www.soca.gov.uk/about-soca/about-the-ukhtc
The NSPCC Child Trafficking Advice and Information Line
Barnardos
http://www.barnardos.org.uk/what_we_do/our_projects/sexual_exploitation.htm
CROP - The Coalition for the Removal of Pimping
http://www.cropuk.org.uk/
