Presentation

Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)

Shaun Sannerude – Community Development Officer

Contents

• Introduction• Definition• The grooming process• Signs and indicators• What can you do to help?• Questions

Introduction

Following the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) in Rotherham and Ofsted’s report, ‘The sexual exploitation of children: it couldn’t happen here, could it?’ CSE has become a national priority.

CSE can take various forms. Children and young people are vulnerable to exploitation due to:• Being missing or absent from home, care or education• Sexual exploitation and abuse within families• Being subject to trafficking

Definition

“Sexual exploitation of children and young people under 18 involves exploitative situations, contexts and relationships where young people receive ‘something’ (e.g. food, accommodation, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, affection, gifts, money) as a result of them performing, and/or another or others performing on them sexual activities (this includes being persuaded to post sexual images on the internet/mobile phones without immediate payment or gain)”

The grooming process

The grooming process within CSE involves recruiting, controlling and then exploiting the young person as follows:• The vulnerable young person is targeted• There is a period of befriending and building trust• The groomer makes the young person feel special and

understood• The groomer enters into a relationship with the exploited

young person• The groomer then builds dependency while isolating the

young person from their family/carers/school/peers• The result is that the groomer has gained control of the

young person, by manipulation, coercion, threats and intimidation.

Signs and indicators

Young people who are being sexually exploited may:– Be involved in abusive relationships, intimidated and fearful

of certain people of situations– Hang out with groups of older people, or anti-social groups,

or with other vulnerable peers– Associate with other young people involved in sexual

exploitation– Have older boyfriends or girlfriends– Have new things such as clothes, jewellery or mobile

phones that they can’t or won’t explain– Spend time at places of concerns e.g. hotels– Go missing from home, care or education

Taxi drivers are the eyes and ears of the community; they may notice increased activity around certain houses and locations where a number of young people are being transported to and from.

Within Rochdale and Rotherham, young people being transported by taxi to hot spots for CSE was key to the intelligence gathering that eventually led to prosecution of CSE perpetrators.

Therefore taxi drivers are key for providing:• Local intelligence• Early recognition

This enables the police and other agencies to disrupt CSE activity in geographical areas or hotspots.

What can you do to help?

• Managers of firms raise awareness of CSE with drivers – include section in safeguarding children policies

• Read relevant chapters in the Northamptonshire Safeguarding Children Board – The Northamptonshire Tackling Child Sexual Exploitation Toolkit

• Be aware of young people you think may be at risk• Be aware of addresses they are taking young people to• Pass on any information/concerns to the police: non-

emergency police number – 101 / national hotline – 116 000 or by email – rise@northants.pnn.police.uk

What can you do to help?

Questions

Any questions?

•The Northamptonshire Tackling Child Sexual Exploitation Toolkit

– Northamptonshire Safeguarding Children Board website

• Emma’s story – surviving CSE – search Emma Jackson: ‘My Story’ on YouTube

• Shaun Sannerude – 01832 742319 /

ssannerude@east-northamptonshire.gov.uk