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Barnardo’s Registered Charity Nos 216250 and SC037605
Identifying and preventing sexual exploitation
Katherine Barnes
What is sexual exploitation?
Sexual exploitation of children under 18 involves exploitative situations (…) and relationships where young people (or a third person/s) receive ‘something’ (e.g., food, accommodation, drugs (…) affection, gifts, money) as a result of performing sexual activities and/or another performing sexual activities on them. Child sexual exploitation can occur (…) without the child’s immediate recognition (…) and with no immediate payment or gain. In all cases those exploiting the child (…) have power over them by virtue of their age, gender, intellect, physical strength (…) economic or other resources. Violence, coercion and intimidation are common, involvement in exploitative relationships being characterised (…) by the child’s (…) limited availability of choice resulting from their social/economic and/or emotional vulnerability.’ (Sue Jago and Jenny Pearce, The University of Bedfordshire, 2008)
The Work of Barnardo’s
• Extensive experience in practice and research in the field of Child Sexual Exploitation
• 1st service established in 1995• 20 specialist services nationwide• Services in London Young Women’s Project
SLA in 4 North London boroughsLondon Councils prevention workLondon Councils one to one work
Meeting the Needs of Sexually Exploited Young People in London (2005)
• Cases of sexual exploitation identified in every borough
• Waltham Forest identified as ‘medium risk’ • Havering and Redbridge classed as ‘low risk’• 507 cases identified in total• 97% of cases were young women• ‘Practitioners acknowledged that they do not
focus their concerns on young men’. • 1002 young people across London estimated to
be at risk• Suggestion that some boroughs could be under
identifying by up to 80%
Service user demographics
Overview of recent cases; • 35% of service users were aged 14 years or
below• Service users from 14 ethnic backgrounds• 56% of young women had experience of
being looked after • 13% of service users had a learning
disability• 44% of cases were known or suspected to
have peers experiencing exploitation
Vulnerability Factors
• Experience of domestic violence• Experience of family breakdown• Parental substance misuse• Experience of physical or sexual abuse• Experience of neglect or emotional abuse
Vulnerability Factors
• Experience of bullying • Being looked after in residential care • Being without a safe and appropriate
home• Being out of education • Parents with a high level of vulnerability• Learning difficulties
Risk Indicators
• Disclosures made and withdrawn• Substance or alcohol misuse• Sexualised behaviour• Pregnancy, miscarriage or termination• Sexually transmitted infections• Placement breakdown• Self harm
Risk Indicators
• Unaccounted for money or goods • Older ‘boyfriend’ or association with older
people • Sexualised behaviour/sexualised risk taking• Physical injuries• Multiple mobile phones • Clipping
• Going missing • Gang involvement
Routes into Sexual Exploitation: ‘Older boyfriend’
• Young person is targeted due to their vulnerabilities
• Adult is usually at least 5 years older • Initially relationship feels positive and
rewarding for young person• Adult uses techniques to increase isolation
and create dependency• Relationship becomes abusive • Young person may be forced into sexual
activity with others
Routes into Sexual Exploitation:Gang exploitation
• Increased rate of referrals for gang exploitation in recent years
• Can involve young men and young women• Young people may be coerced into sexual
activity in exchange for ‘protection’ or as part of initiation
• Young people may be encouraged to recruit peers into the gang
• Young people may be penalised for gang activity, while it is more difficult to identify the perpetrators who control the gang
Routes into Sexual Exploitation:Peer exploitation
• Also referred to as ‘sexual bullying’ • A problem in some schools• May happen quickly without the build up
of a relationship or the grooming process • Young people who are isolated from their
peers may be at higher risk• Incidents sometimes occur publically or
involve multiple perpetrators• Incidents may be filmed on mobile phones
and circulated
Routes into Sexual Exploitation:Online grooming
• Perpetrators are able to conceal their true age, gender and identity
• Perpetrators may target young people online and then meet them in person
• Exploitation can occur over the internet through use of web-cam
• Perpetrators are able to contact young people easily and quickly, without parents/professionals being able to identify it
Routes into Sexual Exploitation:Familial exploitation
• Older family member with a high level of vulnerability may involve their child/sibling etc in exploitative situations
• Relative may be vulnerable due to mental health problems, drug or alcohol dependency or previous experience of exploitation
• Relative may be forced or threatened into involving the young person in exploitation
Routes into Sexual Exploitation:Opportunistic targeting
Young people who go missing, are out late or are in adult environments may be at risk
Perpetrator may target a young person who is visibly vulnerable
Young person may be offered accommodation, money, drugs etc in exchange for sexual activity
Can happen very quickly, without any grooming
Routes into Sexual Exploitation:Trafficking
Young person is brought to the UK by an adult, with the promise of a better life, an education or the chance to earn money
In some cases the young person’s family are aware of the perpetrator’s intention to exploit
Perpetrator may exploit the young person directly or ‘sell’ them to a third person for exploitation
Young person is hidden from services, making identification especially difficult
Prevention work
Awareness raising training for multi agency professionals
Influencing work with Local Safeguarding Children Boards
Prevention education sessions with young people in schools, residential units and pupil referral units using the resource ‘BWise2 Sexual Exploitation’
Direct work with young people
Funded places available for all boroughs between 2009-2013
Referrals for young men and young women aged 11-17 years will be considered by a multi agency panel
Each young person will receive a service from an allocated worker for 6 months
Assertive outreach service tailored to the needs of each individual young person
The London Safeguarding Children Board’s Procedure for Safeguarding Children Abused throughSexual Exploitation
• Procedure 5.40• Three categories of risk:
• 1 - At Risk• 2 - Medium Risk• 3 - High Risk
• Multi-Agency Planning (MAP) approach: Police; Children’s Services; Education; Health; Community and Voluntary Services.
Legislation
• Sexual Offences Act 2003• Child Abduction Act 1984
• Use of Section 2 Child Abduction Act notices
• Can safeguard a young person under 16 years from an adult of concern
• Young person is not required to disclose or give evidence
• Can act as a deterrent or disruption
Signposting & Recommendations
[email protected] 700 2253 or 07534 287 631
• Resources – available to download or order from www.barnardos.org.uk • Research• Bwise2 Sexual Exploitation