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

katherine.barnes@barnardos.org.uk0207 700 2253 or 07534 287 631

• Resources – available to download or order from www.barnardos.org.uk • Research• Bwise2 Sexual Exploitation