Child Sexual Exploitation Basic Awareness Training What is

Child Sexual Exploitation -Basic Awareness Training

What is Child Sexual Exploitation? Activity One: What words come to mind when thinking about CSE?

Definition of Child Sexual Exploitation Child sexual exploitation 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, 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. HM Government, February 2017

What is Child Sexual Exploitation? Activity Two: Sally’s Story

Power and Control This is an essential element in the grooming process and ongoing exploitation of young people. The child is encouraged to break away from some or all of their support groups including peers, family and school. The perpetrator/s take control of the victim by replacing the support structures with him/herself In some cases a dependency is created through drugs or alcohol though it does not have to be material it could be emotional and can include threats and violence against the family and young person, blackmail and exposure to the authorities.

Exchange Receipt of something for performing sexual acts on others or others performing sexual acts on them Again, this may be material or emotional and may involve creating a dependency on drugs or alcohol Mobile phones are common as they help the perpetrator maintain contact and enable control of the victim as well as being a value/fashion item

Limited choice • The victim may feel they have limited choice due to vulnerability, social and economic dependencies • The victim may feel that the situation they are in is better than the alternative • Often the young person does not see themselves as a victim

Who can be exploited? However, we need to be aware of the following groups as nationally and locally they are under-represented in data for those in contact with CSE services. • Boys and young men • Young people with learning disabilities & physical disabilities

Boys and young men The risk of boys becoming victims of sexual exploitation by both male and female offenders is underestimated and less well understood than those relating to girls and young women. Boys and young men also face additional barriers to disclosing their experience because they may be coerced into engaging in heterosexual and homosexual activity (even though they are heterosexual) as part of their abuse and may be worried they will not be believed, or be perceived as being gay when they are not.

What is grooming? Making someone feel cared for, giving someone affection, building an emotional connection and trust with someone for the purpose of sexual exploitation. The grooming process can be over a long period of time or can happen quickly. Grooming techniques can also be used on those associated with a victim in order to support access to that victim. Many victims do not recognise manipulative techniques used by the perpetrator.

11

Know the signs … Children and young people who are victims of sexual exploitation often do not recognise they are being exploited. However, there a number of signs that could indicate a child is being abused. Emotional and behavioural development • Changes in temperament or suffering from depression, mood swings or changes in emotional wellbeing. • Secretive behaviour. • Getting involved in petty crime such as shoplifting or stealing. • Being absent and truanting, lack of interest and frequent poor behaviour.

Know the signs … Identity • Appearing with unexplained gifts or new possessions. • Change in appearance. • Changes to family and social relationships • Going missing for periods of time or regularly returning home late. • Involvement in exploitative relationships or association with risky adults. • Children or young people seen entering or leaving vehicles driven by unknown adults. • Becoming detached from age-related activities and social groups. • Being sexually active. • Receiving phone calls and/or text messages from unknown adults.

Know the signs … Health • Evidence of drug, alcohol and/or substance use. Abusers may use drugs and alcohol to help control children and young people. • Unexplained physical injuries; for example, bruising suggestive of either physical or sexual assault. • Recurring sexually-transmitted infections. • Pregnancy or seeking an abortion. • Displaying inappropriate sexual behaviour, such as being overfamiliar with strangers or sending sexual images via the internet or mobile phones.

Know the signs … Activity Three: Who in a child’s world might spot these signs? How might you identify some of these signs?

Know the signs … Activity Four: I Didn’t Know Video

Models of CSE • • • Older Boyfriend/girlfriend Inappropriate relationships Online Gangs and groups Organised/networked and trafficking model Peer on peer

Older boyfriend/girlfriend This model involves the befriending and grooming of a child or young person by an older adult. This grooming process often revolves around the child and young person’s vulnerabilities and building the child or young person to believe that they are in a loving relationship. The young person may then be passed to other known adults to the ‘boyfriend’/ ‘girlfriend’ merging into the gang or organised network models.

Inappropriate relationships This usually involves one perpetrator who has inappropriate power or control over a young person, such as being physically older, stronger or wealthier or in a position of power e. g. teacher or community leader. This person will be having some form of a sexual relationship with the young person.

Online Children and young people are subject to many risks when they are accessing on-line activities and this includes the risk of sexual exploitation. This can include adults and peers deceiving and exploiting children and young people into producing sexual images of themselves, engaging in sexual chat online or sexual activity over a webcam.

Gangs and groups Sexual exploitation can occur through gangs and groups; this can be through gang initiation rituals, threats of violence and bullying, or as a punishment for crossing gang areas for example. Females can be found to be exploited through ‘honey trapping’, whereby a woman is tasked to infiltrate another gang through sexual advances. Young males may be forced to have sex with older women of similar ages in order to prove masculinity or with adult males as a form of punishment.

Organised/networked and trafficking model This model includes the sex trafficking of children and young people across international borders as well as across internal borders. It can include the moving of children and young people between houses or hotels within the same town/district, for the purposes of passing children and young people to and amongst one or more sexual perpetrators.

Peer on peer Sexual exploitation can happen amongst young people of a similar age, and is often referred to as ‘sexual bullying’ (Children’s Society, 2015). Some young people will befriend other young people and make them believe they are in a loving ‘relationship’ or ‘friendship’, they are then coerced into having sex with friends or associates. Peer on peer model can sometimes be related to ‘gangs and group activity’.

What factors increase a child’s vulnerability to CSE? ACTIVITY FIVE: What might increase a child’s vulnerability to someone wanting to exploit them? 24

Vulnerability Factors: These include children or young people who: • Go missing, especially on regular occasions from home, education or care. • Live in a chaotic or dysfunctional family. • Have a history of abuse (including child sexual abuse, risk of forced marriage, risk of honour-based violence, physical and emotional abuse and neglect). • Have experienced or are experiencing problematic parenting. • Are young carers within the family unit. • Experience social exclusion as a result of poverty.

Vulnerability Factors: • Have experienced recent bereavement or loss. • Have unsupervised use of social networking chat rooms/sites. • Have mental ill health. • Have social or learning difficulties. • Have low self-esteem or self-confidence. • Are unsure about their sexual orientation or are unable to confide in their family about their sexual orientation. • Misuse alcohol and/or drugs. • Have been or are excluded from mainstream education. • Are involved in gang activity.

Vulnerability Factors: • Do not have friends in the same age group. • Are being bullied. • Live in care, foster care, hostels and/or bed and breakfast accommodation – particularly when living out of their home area. • Are homeless. • Have associations with gangs through relatives, peers or intimate relationships. • Live in a gang neighbourhood. • Children from loving and secure homes can also be victims of sexual exploitation. The characteristics common to all victims are not always their age, ethnicity, disability or sexual orientation, but their powerlessness and vulnerability

Consent • The age of consent for sex in the UK is 16 years. • A child under 13 does not have legal capacity to consent to any form of sexual activity – Statutory rape if sexual activity is penetrative • Any sexual activity with a consenting child under the age of 16, is unlawful • All children (including 16 and 17 year olds) cannot consent to their own abuse, therefore 16 and 17 year olds can be victims of child sexual abuse.

Parents as secondary victims 69% of professionals reported that parents feel disempowered by agency involvement. 44% of professionals believe that in most cases parents are in part responsible for the sexual exploitation of their child. 80% of professionals think that some types of families are more likely than others to be affected by CSE – this rises to 90% of police. (Are Parents in the Picture? Parents Against Child Exploitation 2013)

Essex Arrangements, what to do if you have concerns … One page document outlining the arrangements for working with young people at risk of or experiencing CSE including sharing intelligence with Essex Police can be found on ESCB website. Directory of services that can support children and their families can be found via ESCB website or through contacting the Family Operations Hub Concerns about the welfare of a child or for advice and guidance contact Family Operations Hub on 0345 603 7627 Submitting CSE information and intelligence to Essex Police - CSE 1 form SET CSE Risk assessment toolkit available on the ESCB website.

More Information: • Parents and Carers: – Parents Against Child Exploitation (PACE) http: //paceuk. info/ • Children & Young People: – Think U Know https: //www. thinkuknow. co. uk/ – Child Line https: //www. childline. org. uk/ • Professionals – NWG Network www. nwgnetwork. org – The Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre www. ceop. gov. uk – The NSPCC National Child Trafficking Advice and Information Line ( CTAIL ) www. nspcc. org – Barnardos www. barnardos. org – University of Bedfordshire http: //www. beds. ac. uk/ic/films

I Didn’t Know… CSE Campaign Collaboration between Essex Police, Essex, Southend, & Thurrock Local Safeguarding Children Boards. www. essex. police. uk/CSE • Campaign website provides access to posters / leaflets / taxi stickers / videos. • Helpful pages for practitioners / CYP / parents / businesses and communities / getting help. ESCB website www. escb. gov. uk supports the campaign and provides additional information on practitioners pages detailing the local Essex Arrangements to tackle CSE.