Starting Well - Adverse Childhood Experiences
Child Sexual Exploitation
Child Sexual Exploitation
Child sexual exploitation (CSE) is a form of child sexual abuse. As with all types of abuse, it can have a devastating impact on the child or young person who is being exploited. Child sexual exploitation is a shocking crime with consequences that can exact a toll on the young people who are subjected to it, for some, throughout the course of their lives. It can disrupt their social lives and education. The health impact on victims of CSE are broad:
- Long-term sexual, physical and psychological harm
- Developing drug and alcohol misuse habit
- Increased sexually risky behaviour (in some cases leading to teenage pregnancy)
- Domestic servitude, neglect and violence
- Self-harm and suicide
The National Working Group for Sexually Exploited Children and Young People (2008) define child sexual exploitation as involving exploitative situations, contexts and relationships where young people (or a third person or persons) 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.
CSE can occur through the use of technology without the child’s immediate recognition; for example being persuaded to post sexual images on the Internet/mobile phones without immediate payment or gain. In all cases, those exploiting the child/young person have power over them by virtue of their age, gender, intellect, physical strength and/or economic or other resources. Violence, coercion and intimidation are common, involvement in exploitative relationships being characterised in the main by the child or young person’s limited availability of choice resulting from their social/economic and/or emotional vulnerability.
CSE
The chart above shows that the number of CSE incidents in Hartlepool have been increasing considerably each year since 2014-15.
The chart above shows that online-related CSE incidents in Hartlepool have been increasing significantly each year since 2014-15.
The chart above shows the number of CSE crimes reported in Hartlepool has been increasing significantly each year since 2014-15.
The chart above shows that online-related CSE crimes reported in Hartlepool have been increasing significantly each year since 2014-15.
The chart above shows that during 2014-17 approximately 1-in-5 CSE crimes reported in Hartlepool involved male victims.
The above shows that during 2014-17 approximately 1-in-3 CSE crimes reported in Hartlepool were victims under 12 years old.
The chart above shows that during 2014-17 more than 80% of the victims of CSE crimes reported in Hartlepool were white, the rest were all unknown.
The chart above shows that the majority of CSE incidents were victims who reside in the most deprived areas of Hartlepool (Q1 = the 20% most deprived areas in England). There were a small number of CSE incidents where the victims resided in more affluent areas.
The chart above shows that the majority of CSE crimes were victims who reside in the most deprived areas of Hartlepool (Q1 = the 20% most deprived areas in England). There were a small number of CSE crimes where the victims resided in more affluent areas.
Current Services
Banardos: CSE worker – working with anyone who is under 18 that has been a victim of CSE or who is at risk of CSE. The focus of this work is to educate the Child & Young Person in relation to risk.
ISVA (Independent Sexual Violence Advocate Service): - Working with anyone under 18 who has experienced sexual violence and reported it to the police. Workers support young people through the criminal justice process, we also have a specialist worker who supports therapeutically.
Spot purchase therapeutic support for Sexual Harmful Behaviour Work - Healing work for young people who have experienced sexual abuse. Working with young people who exhibit sexually harmful behaviour
Barnardos Music: Working in partnership with the SAGE at Gateshead to deliver music groups to vulnerable young people who have been identified as likely to benefit from improved self-esteem activities and have an interest in music.
Victim Engagement Worker in Police VEMT Team
Barnardo’s VEMT CSE Project Worker – Targeted work areas: Engagement with Professionals and Communities and Preventative Education Work
- Liaise with police VEMT team to ensure the Safer referrals they submit are completed appropriately to ensure support is offered to young people and their families
- Collect intelligence and link in with CSE Tees Valley project workers to ensure Shield forms are appropriately completed and submitted
- Create close working relationships between Barnardo’s / Children’s Services and other agencies with the police VEMT team. This includes sharing of useful information and or guidance to ensure teams are working in an efficient, multi-agency manner
- Assist the Police VEMT team in initial visits if they feel Barnardo’s VEMT Project Worker could help them engage with victims
- Complete a mapping exercise to identify what services are delivering low level/preventative CSE and online safety linking in Operational VEMT
- Create CSE and online safety information packs for parents and also deliver education sessions to parents in primary and secondary schools
- Deliver Tees Valley CSE preventative training sessions covering internal child trafficking to professionals with a remit to early identify and appropriately respond
- Provide ongoing good practice guidance to support the Police VEMT team engage with children who have experienced online grooming and CSE in a victim focused way
- Attend Barnardo’s CSE Tees Valley Practitioner meetings to share information about CSE trends and Cross Boundary victim and persons of interest information so that staff are up to date with this information and are given intelligence that may have been previously unknown
- Be available to give advice and guidance to the Police VEMT Team and other professionals around CSE and internet safety
- Deliver targeted Community, School, Young people and Parent preventative work across the Tees Valley. The work will entail delivering bespoke training sessions and workshops with specific remits of which will be evaluated to present the impact.
- Hartlepool Licensing Team delivers training for taxi drivers to increase awareness of CSE.
Tees LSCB Support Structure
Tees VEMT (Vulnerable, Exploited, Missing, Trafficked) Group : the Tees Strategic VEMT Group was established in early 2013 to provide a strategic direction across Tees for professionals working with children / young people who may be at risk of (or vulnerable to) exploitation or who by way of going missing, may be at risk. The group developed a strategy that was designed to safeguard vulnerable, exploited, missing or trafficked children / young people wherever they live in the Tees area. The strategy was updated in 2019.
The HSSCP Engine Room has responsibility for assisting with the delivery of the strategic VEMT plan locally in Hartlepool & Stockton-On-Tees.
Locality VEMT Practitioner Groups (VPG) is a group of multi-agency professionals that consider the sharing of information from services within the Local Authority area in respect of children who are:
- at risk due to their vulnerability;
- at risk of sexual exploitation;
- at risk due to missing from home episodes;
- at risk of or have been trafficked.
The VPG looks to enhance and support the practitioner(s) in their role supporting the child or young person by formulating an action plan to support the existing plan for the child. The group is based upon partnership problem-solving and ensuring positive outcomes for children and young people.
Future Intentions
|
Issue number 1 = highest priority |
Unmet need |
|
1 |
Online awareness training is currently not as effective as required. Many children across Teesside are not following the e-safety advice provided. |
|
2 |
We are unsure if the current services are effectively managing the transition of CSE victims between children and adults services. Currently no CSE services are available to victims beyond their 18th birthday. |
|
3 |
We are unsure as to whether certain population groups are misrepresented in our local figures. |
|
4 |
We are unsure if CSE awareness training is tailored to different population groups or a generic approach. |
|
Issue number 1 = highest priority |
What needs to be done? |
Why? |
|
1 |
Ensure the communication and sharing of resources with children/young people, parents, families and communities of the exploitation of children/young people through digital technology/social media. In particular with a focus those under the age of 13. Implement robust early intervention and preventative mechanisms and ensure effective sharing of information between partner agencies and the voluntary sector. Collect Police information on disruption activity for digital profiling.
Develop the understanding of CSE across the workforce.
|
To reduce the number of CSE incidents and crimes through online activity.
To identify areas and population groups at risk of being sexually exploited to prevent such activity.
This may give an indication of any issues that were emerging, particular themes evident in our area and the vulnerability and sometimes unreported cases of young people exposed to on-line grooming.
To enable the HBC workforce to identify victims of CSE |
|
2 |
To ensure there is an appropriate and effective transition to adult services for those young people identified as vulnerable to sexual exploitation beyond their 18th birthday. |
Ensure services available to female CSE victims during this transition are effective. Ensure male CSE victims have the same opportunities that females have. |
|
3 |
Ascertain why certain groups are not captured in local figures. Raise awareness of CSE with children and young people, parents, families and communities for all target groups. |
Ensure that these population groups are represented in local figures before interventions are put in place. |
|
4 |
Ensure CSE awareness training is tailored to the needs of residents in the most deprived areas of Hartlepool. |
To raise awareness and reduce the risk of CSE in the most deprived areas of Hartlepool and ensure the messages are clear and understood by such population. |
