CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION

Child sexual exploitation is a form of child sexual abuse:

It’s when children are tricked into performing sexual acts. It can happen to both boys and girls. Child sexual exploitation takes many different forms. It can include contact and non-contact sexual activities and can occur online or in person, or a combination of each.

At the start, the young person may think they’re in a loving consensual relationship, because they get gifts, money, status, affection. In reality, they are being groomed. Having gained the child’s trust, abusers can control them through financial support, emotional blackmail, threats or violence. They may force them to have sex with other people and even make them groom other young people for sex.

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.

At Alter UK, we specialise in running courses, workshops, and programs for individuals and organisations in the Midlands to help recognise the indicators of child sexual exploitation and provide resources and training to prevent criminal exploitation of children.

Any child or young person may be at risk of sexual exploitation, regardless of their family background or other circumstances. Child sexual exploitation can occur in all communities and amongst all social groups and can affect girls and boys. Young people can also be sexually exploited by other young people. All practitioners should work on the basis that it is happening in their area.
Sexual exploitation causes harm to children and young people, including significant damage to their physical and mental health. It can also have profound and damaging consequences for their family, including siblings (who may also be at risk of abuse).
Sexual exploitation has links with other forms of crime, for example, domestic violence and abuse, online and offline grooming, the distribution of abusive images of children, criminal exploitation and child trafficking. The perpetrators of sexual exploitation are often well organised and use sophisticated tactics.

If you’d like to find out more about the indicators and aspects of child sexual exploitation in your area, contact the team at Alter UK today. Whether you’re an individual in Birmingham or an organisation in Wolverhampton, together we can foster a culture of support, prevent criminal child exploitation, and protect young people across the United Kingdom.

Effects of Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)

Both sexual exploitation in person and online can have long-term effects on a child or young person, including:

Mental health problems
Pregnancy at a young age
Struggle with trust, fearful of forming new relationships
Isolation from family and friends
Low attainment and truancy or dropping out of education
Unemployment
Self-harm and suicide attempts
Alcohol and drug abuse
Criminal behaviour
Homelessness

Consent

A child cannot consent to their own abuse. It is important to bear in mind that:

A child under the age of 13 is not legally capable of consenting to sex (it is statutory rape) or any other type of sexual touching;
Sexual activity with a child under 16 is an offence;
It is an offence for a person to have a sexual relationship with a 16 or 17 year old if they hold a position of trust or authority in relation to them;
Where sexual activity with a 16 or 17 year old does not result in an offence being committed, it may still result in harm, or the likelihood of harm being suffered;
Non-consensual sex is rape whatever the age of the victim;
If the victim is incapacitated through drink or drugs, or the victim or their family has been subject to violence or the threat of it, they cannot be considered to have given true consent; therefore offences may have been committed;
Child sexual exploitation is therefore potentially a child protection issue for all children under the age of 18 years and not just those in a specific age group.

Although they may sometimes appear to be making an informed choice, young people cannot and do not 'choose' abuse or exploitation. Recognising the underlying factors that can exacerbate risk will help understand and interpret apparent 'choices' and avoid the danger of apportioning blame.

A significant number of children and young people who are being sexually exploited may go missing from care, home, and education. Some go missing frequently; the more often children go missing the more vulnerable they are to being sexually exploited or other forms of exploitation including criminal exploitation.

At Alter UK, we work to prevent child sexual exploitation and abuse by educating children, young adults, parents, educators, and caregivers to form a clear understanding of how to recognise aspects and indicators of criminal child exploitation. From schools to social homes across the Midlands, we provide the resources, training, and understanding needed to ensure communities around the UK are safer than ever.