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Child Sexual Exploitation: Asking the Questions

Dr Helen Beckett
Deputy Director, The International Centre: Researching Child Sexual Exploitation, Violence and Trafficking @ The University of Bedfordshire

helen.beckett@beds.ac.uk

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Q: What is Child Sexual Exploitation?

Form of sexual abuse
Under 18s Exploitative situations, contexts and relationships where young people (or a third person or persons) receive something as a result of performing, and/or others performing on them, sexual activities 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

Child/young person has limited choice due to vulnerability (social, economic and/or emotional)
Violence, coercion and intimidation are common (All Wales Protocol 2008; DCSF 2009)
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Forms of CSE
Abuse through prostitution/paying for the sexual services of a child involving third party gain (language as per Sexual Offences Act; includes any financial advantage) Other abuse through prostitution Party house model Inappropriate/sexually exploitative relationships Internet exploitation Child abuse images Trafficking for CSE (Beckett 2011) Can be by an individual, informal networks and/or organised network of abusers Can be by adults and/or peers Merging of online and offline worlds
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Common features
Targeting the vulnerable Initial feeling of control/excitement Encouraging dependence on abuser & disassociation from other networks Role of drugs and/or alcohol Prolonged duration & exposure to multiple forms of CSE Young person does not see themselves as a victim and may keep returning to their abuser despite professional attempts to rescue them Using young person as a conduit for drawing others in

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Q: Who does it affect?

Prevalence data difficult to capture but existing counts show:
1875 cases localised grooming (CEOP 2011) 2409 confirmed victims over 14 month period; 16,500 at risk (OCC 2012) CSE issue of concern for 1 in 7 young people known to social services in N.Ireland; 1 in 5 at significant risk (Beckett 2011) 1 in 10 at risk of CSE (Welsh Government Guidance on CSE; based on Barnardos research)

Patterns of risk:
No one is immune but particular life experiences associated with increased risk (prior abuse; missing; socio-economic deprivation, family dysfunction, residential care etc) More females than males (issue of identification as well as prevalence) Average age when concerns first identified: 13-15 years
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Q: What can we do about it?

Underpinning principles Assume existence in your area unless clear evidence to the contrary Recognise it is sexual abuse Recognise adolescents need safeguarding too, but need a different approach than that used with younger children Child centred: engage young people as active partners Holistic (locate route of vulnerability and address; provide valid alternatives) Prevent, Protect and Prosecute (the 3 Ps)

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Q: What can we do about it?

Prevention

Educate young people about risk Targeted preventative work with at risk populations Educate parents/carers Engage wider community Send clear message to potential perpetrators Professional awareness raising

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Q: What can we do about it?

Protection Young people rarely disclose need to proactively look for risk know what to look for and pathways for support Create opportunities for disclosure; recognise non-verbal expressions of distress Multi-agency, locally informed response Recognise complexity of situation (push and pull factors) and young peoples feelings around this Access to intensive long-term specialist support Dont expect them to act/react as we do as adults Exercise professional curiosity/dont inadvertently collude

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She met this man outside a pub and she basically offered him a blowjob for a tenner. She took him into an alley way, performed oral sex on him, got a tenner, went to the off licence and bought four litres of cider. Her and her friend decided they wanted to come back to the area where she was from but needed to get a taxi, so again she needed money. So she went to a pub and approached two other men and offered them sex for the price of the taxi home, which she did. On the way home in the taxi she decided she wanted to keep the money she had earned from having sex with the other two so she offered the taxi driver sex for the fare (police)
Quote taken from Beckett (2011) Not a World Away

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Q: What can we do about it?

Prosecution A young persons vulnerability is only an issue because someone is ready to exploit it need concurrent focus on perpetrators Some successful cases but overall limited prosecutions Co-operation amongst professionals how to help each other Disruption techniques, but not at expense of criminal prosecutions Requires proactive investigation; not reliant on young persons complaint Young peoples negative experiences of the criminal justice system need addressed

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Email: helen.beckett@beds.ac.uk Tel: 07725 217231 www.beds.ac.uk/research/iasr/centres/intcent

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