Children are most vulnerable to Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) between the ages of 13 and 15, but younger victims are being targeted all the time. It can happen to any child or young person, it can happen to boys as well as girls and it can happen to children of all races and backgrounds. There is no standard profile of a CSE offender, and it can happen between young people – peer to peer and especially within gangs or social groups. CSE is often a hidden crime.

What is 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.

The “reward” might be presents, money, alcohol, drugs and cigarettes, a place to stay or simply emotional attention or protection.

The child may engage in the sexual activity because they feel they owe the other person. They may be threatened or feel frightened. The child may believe they are consenting to the sexual activity because they think the other person is their boyfriend/girlfriend. They may engage in sexual activity with others under pressure from their “boyfriend/girlfriend”.

A child may agree to sexual activity because they felt they had no other choice and/or do not understand consent. Consent given under duress or whilst under the influence of a substance is not consent.

Children may be groomed into exploitation over time and not see themselves as a victim. Children can not consent to their own abuse.

What does CSE look like?

CSE can take many different forms, including:

• Exploitation by family members, including being “sold for sex”;
• Sexually exploitative relationships with older adults;
• Sexually exploitative relationships with peers or within a gang;
• Sexual exploitation through technology including grooming through social media, taking and circulating indecent images of the child.

What makes children vulnerable to CSE?

Any child or young person may be at risk of CSE, regardless of their family background or other circumstances. However, some groups of young people are particularly vulnerable. These include:

• Previous or current abuse in the home;
• Domestic abuse in the home;
• Family breakdown/ disrupted family life / problematic parenting;
• Children in care;
•  Children who often go missing from home and school;
• Bereavement;
• Homelessness;
• Substance use in young people;
• Children with mental health conditions;
• Children involved in gangs or living in communities where gangs are prevalent;
• Children living in poverty or deprivation;
• Children of parents with a high level of vulnerabilities (e.g. drug and/or alcohol abuse, mental illness, learning disability, their own history of an abusive childhood and poor experiences of being parented themselves);
• Children in families where older siblings or parents are sex workers;
• Children who have been trafficked into the country or local area with no protective adults caring for them.

How are children groomed?

Grooming is when someone builds an emotional connection with a child to gain their trust for the purposes of abuse. Techniques are used to gain the child’s attention, admiration and affection often taps into insecurities or a desire for acceptance and status by the young person.

Grooming happens both online and in person. Groomers will hide their true intentions and may spend a long time gaining a child’s trust. Groomers may try to gain the trust of a whole family to allow them to be left alone with the child.

• Groomers do this by:
• Pretending to be someone they are not, for example saying they are younger in age.
• Offering advice, support or understanding, being their friend and trying to isolate them from others.
• Buying gifts.
• Giving the child attention, and treating them as special and using flattery.
• Using their professional position or reputation.
• Taking them on trips, outings or parties where they are allowed to drink under aged.

What are the signs a child may be at risk of, or currently, being exploited?

• Unexplained gifts or expensive items beyond the usual means of the child e.g. clothes, mobiles;
• New or increased drug and alcohol use;
• Bruises and marks to the body;
• Suffering from sexually transmitted infections;
• Disengaging is activities or hobbies they used to enjoy;
• Becoming isolated from friendship groups, associating with other children who have been exploited;
• Having new relationships but knowing few personal details about their “boyfriend/girlfriend”;
• Getting into and out of different vehicles; • Changes in behaviour e.g. aggressive, defensive, mood swings;
• Inappropriate sexual behaviour e.g. overfamiliar with strangers, lack of sexual boundaries, sending explicit test messages or indecent images;
• Involvement in abusive relationships;

Going missing from home and school, and staying out late and being secretive about where they have been and who with. Whilst the signs indicated above may not mean the child is being exploited, they are signs that the child may need your support.

Child sexual abuse online:

When CSE happens online, young people may be persuaded, or forced to:

• Send or post sexually explicit images of themselves;
• Take part in sexual activities via a webcam or smartphone;
• Have sexual conversations by text or online.

Abusers may threaten to send images, videos or copies of conversations to the young person’s friends and family unless they take part in other sexual activity. Images or videos may continue to be shared long after the sexual abuse has stopped.

Questions for professionals to ask themselves

• Is the child’s risk taking behaviour or harmful sexual relationships a sign of exploitation?
• Is the child being exploited in contact with other young vulnerable people?
• Has the young person’s behaviour changed? Are they staying out late? Are they secretive about where they go and who their friends are?
• Is the child safe online?

What to do

 If you identify a child may be at immediate risk of harm you should follow the usual child protection procedures by making a referral to Children’s Social Care and/or contacting the police.

Those trained to use the Kent and Medway CSE risk assessment toolkit should complete as appropriate.

Information from concerns that do not need, or reach, social care referral thresholds then the information should be shared with the Child Sexual Exploitation Team or via the police under Operation Willow.

Operation Willow: “Say something if you see something”

Operation Willow is a partnership to respond to concerns and promote awareness of CSE by working closely with schools, GPs, taxi firms and the nigh time economy.

Operation Willow also encourages members of the public to report their concerns. These may be as simple as a house constantly being used for under aged parties or older men hanging around schools and talking to younger girls and boys. Anyone can call 101 and quote Operation Willow, or can call the Say Something Helpline anonymously on 116 000.

Intelligence from Operation Willow goes to the Child Sexual Exploitation Team (CSET), a combined team who tackle the sexual exploitation of children.

Professionals can send intelligence directly to the CSET, details can be found on the MSCB website.

This guidance should be read in conjunction with the Kent and Medway Safeguarding Procedures. Factsheet developed in reference to Barnardo’s and the NSPCC.