Child Sexual Exploitation

Child sexual exploitation (CSE) is a form of child sexual abuse. It occurs where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18 into sexual activity (a) in exchange for something the victim needs or wants (this can be material gain in the form of gifts and/or emotional gain, eg., showing the victim care, interest or affection) and/or (b) for the financial advantage or increased status of the perpetrator or facilitator. 

The victim may have been sexually exploited even if the sexual activity appears consensual. Child sexual exploitation does not always involve physical contact; it can also occur through the use of technology.

Violence, coercion and intimidation are common. Involvement in exploitative relationships is characterised by the child’s or young person’s limited availability of choice, as a result of their social, economic or emotional vulnerability.

Children and young people are often tricked into believing they're in a loving and consensual relationship. This is called grooming. They may trust their abuser and not understand that they're being abused. The child or young person does not recognise the coercive nature of the relationship and does not see themselves as a victim of exploitation.

Officers should be aware of the perception that a young person is troublesome, rather than troubled, can affect their credibility and influence whether that individual seeks help. It can also make them fiercely resistant to offers of support. Child sexual exploitation is never the young person’s fault, even when they 'agree' to the sexual activity.

Very Brief Intervention

Ask

If a child reports, following a conversation you have initiated or otherwise, that they are being abused and neglected you should:

  • Ensure the victim’s safety, understanding any risk posed by the perpetrator to the victim or other people.
  • Identify any immediate medical needs.
  • Listen to them.
  • Take their report seriously.
  • Reassure them that you will take action to keep them safe.
  • At all times, you should explain to the child the action that you are taking.
  • It is important to maintain confidentiality, but you should not promise that you won’t tell anyone, as you may need to do so in order to protect the child.

You will need to decide the most appropriate action to take, depending on the circumstances of the case, the seriousness of the child’s report and the local multi-agency safeguarding arrangements in place.

PPN -Devon and Cornwall Officers should ensure concerns are documented on a PPN for referral and signposting support for an individual by partner agencies.

You should always adhere to the specific guidance from your particular police force.

Spotting the signs of Child Sexual Exploitation

Officers should familiarise themselves with the most common warning signs of CSE and recognise that a victim does not have to exhibit all of the warning signs to be a victim of sexual exploitation. Concerns should be heightened if the number of warning signs increases.

  • Going missing for periods of time or regularly returning home late
  • Skipping school or being disruptive in class
  • Appearing with unexplained gifts or possessions that can’t be accounted for
  • Experiencing health problems that may indicate a sexually transmitted infection
  • Having mood swings and changes in temperament
  • Using drugs and/or alcohol
  • Displaying inappropriate sexualised behaviour, such as over-familiarity with strangers, dressing in a sexualised manner or sending sexualised images by mobile phone ("sexting")
  • Having marks or scars on their body which they try to conceal by refusing to undress or uncover parts of their body. 
  • Are they a member of an organised criminal group – Sexual Exploitation can be used to exert power and control, initiation or to use sexual violence as a weapon.

Assist

Child Sexual Exploitation is not a specific criminal offence. It encompasses a range of different forms of serious criminal conduct and a number of individual offences.

In assessing whether a child or young person is a victim, or at risk of becoming a victim, of sexual exploitation, careful consideration should be given to the following:

  • A child under the age of 13 is not legally capable of consenting to sex (it is statutory rape) or any other type of sexual touching
  • Sexual activity with a child under 16 is an offence
  • It is an offence for a person to have a sexual relationship with a 16 or 17-year-old if they hold a position of trust or authority in relation to them
  • Where sexual activity with a 16 or 17-year-old does not result in an offence being committed, it may still result in harm or the likelihood of harm being suffered
  • Non-consensual sex is rape, whatever the age of the victim
  • If the victim is incapacitated through drink or drugs, or the victim, or his or her family, has been subjected to violence or the threat of it, they cannot be considered to have given true consent and, therefore, offences may have been committed
  • CSE is an issue for all children under the age of 18 years and not limited to those in a specific age group.

CSE investigations require a proactive approach to explore the nature and patterns of sexual exploitation locally, and to share information with partner agencies about those at risk and potential offenders.

Act

Child Exploitation Online Protection (CEOP)

Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) is a law enforcement agency providing support and advice for children, adults or teachers about keeping children safe from sexual abuse and grooming online. Submit a report online  https://www.ceop.police.uk/ceop-reporting/

Website: https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/11_18/

Childline 

Childline provide free, confidential support to children about any topic, including modern slavery and human trafficking. Support is available to anyone under the age of 19 years. Online 1-2-1 chats with counsellors and email options are also available. See their website for more details.

Telephone: 0800 1111 (Available 24hrs a day 7 days a week)

Website: www.childline.org.uk

CrimeStoppers 

 An independent crime-fighting charity in the UK allows people to call or pass on information about crime anonymously.

Telephone: 0800 555 111

Website: www.crimestoppers-uk.org

Safeline- National Helpline for Male Survivors

Safeline provides specialist, tailored support for anyone affected by or at risk of sexual abuse and rape, that empowers them to make choices about the lives they want and helps prevent abuse. They provide support to anyone but also offer a dedicated phone service for male survivors of sexual violence. 

Telephone: 01926 402 498 (Safeline) or 0808 800 5005 (National Male Survivor Helpline)

Website: Home - Safeline - Believe in you - Surviving sexual abuse & rape

NSPCC 

If you’re worried about a child, even if you are unsure, the NSPCC helpline is available for advice from a trained counsellor. You don't have to say who you are. You might be looking for guidance and support on issues affecting children. Whatever it is you're worried about, their dedicated child protection specialists will be able to help.

Telephone: 0808 800 5000 Mon-Fri 10am-8pm 

Website: www.nspcc.org.uk

NWG- Say Something If You See Something Awareness Campaign

Say Something If You See Something is an all year round National Campaign which provides a proactive, partnership approach towards the prevention of child exploitation and trafficking in a range of trades. It provides and extensive range of resources and support for organisations to raise awareness of Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking, as well as guidance on how to respond effectively and protect vulnerable young people.

Support Advice and Guidance is also available from the CSE Response Unit based at the NWG premises in Derby. The CSE Response Unit is for all professionals from all sectors who want to understand and improve their response to CSE, this multi-disciplinary team provides excellent support on all matters related to Child Sexual Exploitation, Trafficking and Modern-Day Slavery.

Telephone: 0300 303 3032 (CSE Response Unit)

Email: ru@nwgnetwork.org (CSE Response Unit)

Website: Say Something If You See Something Awareness Campaign - NWG Network

PACE (Parents Against Child Exploitation)

Pace is a national charity working to keep children safe from exploitation by supporting their parents, disrupting the offenders and working in partnership with police and family services. They also train professionals to support affected children and their parents using a trauma-informed, family-centric approach. They take referrals directly from parents who have concerns and need support.

Telephone: 0113 240 3040

Website: https://paceuk.info/

Report Remove-Remove a Nude Image Shared Online (Run by Childline)

Report Remove helps young people under 18 in the UK to confidentially report sexual images and videos of themselves and remove them from the internet. Having your nudes shared can feel scary, and it can leave you feeling worried or even ashamed. But it’s not your fault. It’s against the law for anyone to share a sexual image or video of someone who’s under 18, and Childline are working with the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) and Yoti to help you remove any sexual image or video of you that’s online. 

Report Remove is safe, easy and free- visit the website address below for more information.

Website: Report Remove | Childline

Runaway Helpline

Runaway Helpline is here if you are thinking about running away, if you have already run away, or if you have been away and come back. You can also contact them if you are worried that someone else is going to run away or if they are being treated badly or abused. Runaway Helpline has been supporting young people for many years and is run by the UK charity Missing People. 

Telephone: 116000 (call or text for free, 9am-11pm 7 days a week)

Website: Homepage - Runaway Helpline

Sarah’s Law

The Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme (CSODS) lets you formally ask the police whether someone who has contact with a child or children has a record for child sexual (paedophile) offences poses a risk to the child or children for some other reason. It's not a law, but it is sometimes called 'Sarah's Law'. It gives guidance on how you can ask us to use our existing police powers to share information about sex offenders. If you’re worried about someone’s behaviour towards a child, or something you've seen, heard, or been told, you can use Sarah's Law to find out if that person is a risk. You must apply for information about a specific person and a specific child or children they spend time with. You cannot apply for general information about child sex offenders.

Who can apply?

Anyone who is worried about someone's behaviour towards a child can apply, not just a child's parents. This includes people like a grandparent, neighbour, or friend. No matter who makes the application, if there is information we decide to share, we will tell whoever can use the information to keep the child safe. This might not be the person who made the application, it might be someone else (like the child's parents).

Website: Sarah's Law (Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme) | Devon & Cornwall Police (devon-cornwall.police.uk)

Local Support and Contact Details