Child at Risk of Exploitation
Child Exploitation Disruption Toolkit
Child Exploitation comes in many forms: Child Sexual Exploitation, Criminal Exploitation, Radicalisation and Child Trafficking.
CSE 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.
SUPPORTING PARENTS AND CARERS OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE AFFECTED BY SEXUAL EXPLOITATION A TOOLKIT FOR PROFESSIONALS
Criminal exploitation involves taking advantage of children and young people and forcing them to engage in various forms of criminal activity such as begging, pick-pocketing, credit card, benefit fraud and, the cultivation of cannabis for drug dealers.
CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE TRAFFICKED FOR THE PURPOSE OF CRIMINAL EXPLOITATION IN RELATION TO COUNTY LINES A TOOLKIT FOR PROFESSIONALS
This toolkit has been developed to support frontline practitioners to safeguard children and young people under the age of 18 from sexual and criminal exploitation. This includes social workers, police officers, housing officers, education staff, healthcare staff, charity staff, and others.
Additionally, the toolkit sets out supportive information to assist information sharing and multi-agency working as well as intelligence and evidence gathering and profiling.
Everyone who engages with children has a part to play in tackling child exploitation, not just those with statutory powers. It is important that all those who engage with children recognise and advocate for the use of available statutory powers, even where it may only be police or local authorities who can put them in place.
When using this toolkit, all practitioners should have as their primary focus:
- the experiences of the victims involved
- the views of the victims
- the impact any chosen approach may have on them
- the risk of further harm to them, possible future victims or the wider community
This toolkit is focused on child exploitation, although some of the tools listed can be used to disrupt exploitation of adults too.
Modern Slavery and Child Trafficking are forms of child abuse. Children are recruited, moved or transported and then exploited, forced to work or sold.
Guidance for frontline professionals on dealing with county lines, part of the government’s approach to ending gang violence and exploitation
The Multi-Agency Practice Principles for responding to child exploitation and extra-familial harm are designed to support effective partnership working across different local contexts; providing a common language and framework to better respond to child exploitation and extra-familial harm.