Slides not to be reproduced without permission of

Slides not to be reproduced without permission of the author Child Sexual Exploitation Dr Helen Beckett Deputy Director, The International Centre @uniofbeds. CSE helen. beckett@beds. ac. uk

CSE: Definitions & Models

What is the issue? • Definitions & Models • Criminal Offences • Patterns What do we need to do about it? • Prevention • Working with young people • Disruption/prosecution

What is child sexual exploitation? • A form of sexual abuse • Under 18 s • The coercion or manipulation of children and young people into taking part in sexual activities • “Involving an exchange of some form of payment” – including money mobile phones, drugs, alcohol, place to stay, ‘protection’ or affection. • Vulnerability of young person and grooming process employed by perpetrators renders them powerless to recognise the exploitative nature of relationships and unable to give informed consent (AWCPPRG 2013 Safeguarding and Promoting the Welfare of Children who are at Risk of Abuse through Sexual Exploitation. All Wales Protocol)

What delineates CSE from other forms of CSA? CSA CSE Under 18 s Forcing/enticing CYP to take part in sexual activity Child aware or not Contact/non contact Exchange of some form of payment must be present - To who? Just because a young person receives something they need or desire does not mean they are not being abused. Taking advantage of this need or desire, and making the young person think they are in control because they are getting something in return, is part of the abusive process (CSE KTP 2014)

“I was 12, maybe a wee bit older, and I remember I was completely blocked and I couldn’t move and my mummy run out of drink and she says to me, there was fellas in the house and she says to one of them to take me up the stairs and she got me to go with this man for a bottle of vodka for her” (17 year old female)

“There was a guy running parties for sex. What was described to me was someone initially looking after you, taking you out, buying you clothes, giving you lots of emotion and care. Then there were parties where other girls were there and it became a going upstairs with one person type of thing, but then it came down to being the only girl with four or five men and it became quite frightening” (residential unit worker)

“There is a young gay male, with learning difficulties. He’s meeting older men in their thirties/forties in gay clubs and male saunas… He’s being plied with drink to make it easier. He phoned me from a hotel this time asking me to come and collect him. He said there was money left on the side when the guy left. That in itself was quite concerning because the young fella was like ‘why’s he leaving that money? ” (aftercare worker)

“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) Quotes taken from Beckett (2011) ‘Not a World Away’

Models of CSE • ‘Abuse through prostitution/paying for the sexual services of a child’ involving third party gain (Sexual Offences Act 2003) – language changed to CSE but only re financial gain. • Other ‘abuse through prostitution’ (no 3 rd party gain) • ‘Party house model’ • Inappropriate/sexually exploitative relationships • Internet exploitation • Child abuse images • Trafficking for sexual exploitation (Beckett 2011)

Forms of CSE • Always learning about new manifestations • Can be by an individual, informal networks and/or organised network of abusers • Can be perpetrated by both genders and any ethnicity • Can be by adults and/or peers • Merging of online and offline worlds

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 • Significant impact on the child – physical, sexual, emotional health & future wellbeing/relationships

Criminal Offences

Sexual Offences Act 2003 Under 13 – Rape and other offences against child under 13 (art 5 -8) Under 16 – Sexual activity with a child (art 9) – Causing/inciting sexual activity (art 10) – Causing a child to watch a sexual act (art 12) – Child sex offences committed by children or young persons (art 13) – Arranging or facilitating sexual offence (art 14) – Meeting a child following sexual grooming (art 15) Under 18 – Abuse of position of Trust (art 16 -24) – Sexual activity with child family member (art 25 -29) – Indecent photographs of child aged 16/17 (art 45) – Abuse of child through sexual exploitation (formerly prostitution or pornography) (art 47 -51)

Serious Crime Act 2015 (Royal Assent 3 March; into force by 3 June) • Introduces new offence of an adult (A) engaging in sexual communication with a child under 16 (B): – – – • Intentionally communicates for the purpose of sexual gratification Communication is sexual or encourages sexual response B is under 16 and A does not reasonably believe they are 16 or over Amends Street Offences Act 1959 to decriminalise under 18 s selling sex in the street

Serious Crime Act 2015 • Amends Sexual offences Act 2003 to remove references to child prostitution and pornography • The sexual exploitation of a child is defined with reference to these offences as: – the offer or provision of sexual services to another person in return for payment or a promise of payment to the child or a third person OR – the recording of an indecent image of the child. • Payment is defined, as per the original 2003 text as “any financial advantage, including the discharge of an obligation to pay or the provision of goods or services (including sexual services) gratuitously or at a discount, although interestingly is not a requirement with reference to the recording of indecent images of a child.

CSE: Offence. v. Policy Definition

Who is affected by CSE ?

The extent of CSE • Prevalence data difficult to capture: - 34% of young people who experience contact sexual abuse by adult did not tell anyone – rises to 83% when abuse is by peer (Radford et al 2011) • Existing counts of CSE: – 1875 cases localised grooming (CEOP 2011) – 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) – 1400 children thought to be sexually exploited in Rotherham over 16 year period (Jay 2014) – 70 LSCBs identified 2092 known victims; 79 identified 5669 at risk (OCC 2015) • Other counts: – 1 in 9 young adults experienced s/abuse in childhood (NSPCC 2013) – 31, 000 sexual offences against children in 2013/14 – 6 out of 10 13 -18 year olds have been asked to send sexual image/video of themselves – 4 out of 10 have (Childline 2013)

Peer on peer SVE Ø 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 6 boys (12 -17 years) report sexual partner violence (Barter et al 2009) Ø 27% of cases of CSE in Northern Ireland study included abuse by peers (Beckett 2011) Ø 10% sixteen year old females first had sex because they felt they should or were forced into it (Schubotz 2012) Ø 1 in 15 sixteen year olds (1 in 12 girls) have been given substances and taken advantage of when under influence (69% of cases by peers) (Beckett and Schubotz 2014) Ø 29% of girls have been subjected to unwanted sexual touching at school (You. Gov Survey 2010) Ø 71% of 16 -18 year olds hear sexual name (slut; slag) calling on a daily basis/few times a week in school (You. Gov Survey 201)

Patterns of risk • No one is immune • Average when concerns are first identified: 13 -15 years • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? feature=player_detailpage&v=S 5 m 40 q. Oes. Dg • More females than males – issue of identification as well as prevalence • Cockbain et al 2014 – 9000 Barnardo’s service users – 1/3 male • BME young people (Gohir 2013; Sharp 2015) • LAC disproportionately represented

Patterns of risk/vulnerability • Particular life experiences associated with increased vulnerability, including: Family dysfunction Prior (sexual) abuse or neglect Substance misuse Social isolation Socio-economic disadvantage Peers who are sexually exploited Being in (residential) care Going missing/running away Disengagement from education Low self esteem Learning difficulties/disabilities Bereavement

The significance of vulnerability • Increases risk but not a pre-determinant of abuse. • Push and pull factors – running from & running to • Enables targeted pro-active protective work but cannot be at expense of universal protective work – CSE affects those with no previously recognised vulnerabilities. • Vulnerability only relevant because there is someone willing to exploit them & inadequate protective structures to mediate against the risk.

Prevention/Awareness Raising

• Whole population approach (community safety/public health) & targeted work • Professionals – knowledge and attitudes – professional curiosity & tenacity • Children and young people – starting early in an ageappropriate manner – risk to self and risk to others; help seeking behaviours • Parents and carers – how to protect & how to support • Wider communities – somebody always lives next door • Need to be culturally sensitive but not culturally bound • The service industry • Consistent accessible messaging – counteract unhelpful messages

Intervening/working with victims

Young people rarely report • • • Feel trapped Fear and threats Emotional ties/loyalty to perpetrator Guilt/shame – can be made to feel complicit in their abuse Receipt of something they need/want Think they won’t be believed Don’t know where to go for help Prior negative reactions/experiences of services Don’t realise there is anything to report – normalisation of SVE

Professionals don’t always identify • • • Lack of awareness of CSE and what to look for Uncomfortable talking about sex/sexuality Political correctness - Rotherham? Do not see it as their responsibility Don’t want to police teenage sexuality Accept situations at face value – professional curiosity Focus on presenting issues Workload demands See a ‘problematic teenager’ not a child in need Don’t acknowledge abusive nature of what is going on

http: //www. themoreyouknow. org. uk/

Potential risk indicators: examples • • • • Going missing Distressed/withdrawn emotional state on return Disengaging from existing social networks New associations – older males, peers affected by CSE etc Unexplained gifts, money etc Concerning use of mobile phone/additional phones Sexual health issues Disclosure of rape/sexual assault (and reluctance to report) Changes in temperament/emotional well being Drug or alcohol misuse Secretiveness Inappropriate sexualised behaviours Unexplained physical injuries

Issues to consider • Might some of these risk indicators be explained by other issues as well as CSE? • Are there different/additional vulnerabilities & risk indicators for internet-based CSE? • The relationship between vulnerability factors and risk indicators

Working with (potential) victims • Create opportunities for disclosure; recognise non-verbal expressions of distress • Don’t expect them to act/react as we do as adults • Exercise ‘professional curiosity’/don’t inadvertently collude • Be aware of inadvertent consequences & replicating abusive patterns • Recognise complexity of situation (push and pull factors) and young people’s feelings around this • Achieving gradual change through relationship & partnership – offering choice in who this is • Parents as safeguarding partners • Access to intensive long-term specialist support • Provision of valid alternatives

Think about how young people are feeling • “ It’s like I’ve been passed down. . . it was X passed me on” • “I’ve never had a choice. . . I didn’t get a choice in the matter…” • “Humiliated, degraded and ashamed”

What young people say would help victims • • • Consistency of personnel Age-appropriate & non-blaming language Explanations of processes Regular contact and communication Decisions made ‘with’ them rather than about them Support from first point of contact • Training and accountability • Youth engagement

Move beyond individuals: address contexts of risk Society Neighbourhood School Peer Group Home Child Firmin (2014)

Disruption/prosecution

Disruption • Attention on suspected perpetrators – tax evasion; drugs etc • Civil remedies: – Child Abduction Notices – under 16/18 if LAC – SOPO – post conviction – RSHO – no conviction required; sexual communication x 2 • Use of NRM – if movement for trafficking • Hotel notices – required to disclose info if intelligence around CSE • Critical role of disruption, but never in lieu of prosecution Not to be reproduced without permission from the author

Policing and prosecutions “Identifying, disrupting and prosecuting perpetrators must be a key part of work to safeguard children and young people from sexual exploitation” (DCSF, 2009) • A young person’s 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 • Requires proactive investigation; not reliant on young person’s complaint • Young people’s negative experiences of the criminal justice system need addressed Not to be reproduced without permission from the author

Improving criminal justice responses • Identified as issue of concern by young people Not believed Ripped into They called me an attention seeker punished overwhelmed degraded • Making Justice Work: https: //www. beds. ac. uk/ic/films

Policing and prosecutions • ACPO CSE Action Plan • HMIC Child Protection Inspections • National lead on Child Protection • Network of regional CSE coordinators and analysts • CSA identified as national threat in Strategic Policing Requirement – “this means making sure that there are enough resources to tackle it, and robust plans in place to target the offenders. It also means that forces will need to work with each other to share resources, intelligence and best practice” (HM Government 2015) • UOB national hub on improving policing responses to CSE & associated vulnerabilities • ONYX team launched in N Wales this week Not to be reproduced without permission from the author

Email: Helen. beckett@beds. ac. uk Web: www. beds. ac. uk/ic Twitter: @uniofbeds. CSE /@helenlbeckett