CSE: One call could change it all

There were 18 reports of concerns around CSE sent in to us last month. Remember, you don’t have to be sure but one call could change a life. 

What is CSE?

Child sexual exploitation involves situations, contexts or relationships in which a person under 18 is given something, for example food, accommodation, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, affection, gifts or money in return for performing sexual activities or having sexual activities performed on them. It can also involve violence, coercion and intimidation, with threats of physical harm or humiliation.

In all cases of CSE, the person exploiting the child or young person is able to create the impression of authority over them in some form. This could be because of their age, gender, intellect, physical strength or economic situation.

Sexual exploitation of children can start through the use of technology, without them immediately realising. For example, they might be persuaded to post images on the internet or via mobile phone without immediate payment or personal gain.

What to look out for

Signs of a child or young person being in an exploitative relationship can vary. Some examples include:

·       going missing from home or care

·       physical injuries

·       misuse of drugs or alcohol

·       involvement in offending

·       repeat sexually-transmitted infections, pregnancies or terminations

·       absenteeism from school

·       deterioration in physical appearance

·       evidence of online sexual bullying

·       evidence of vulnerability on social networking sites

·       emotional distance from family members

·       receiving gifts from unknown sources

·       recruiting others into exploitative situations

·       poor mental health

·       self-harming

·       thinking about or attempting suicide

Find out more, including examples of what to look out for and how to report any concerns, via our dedicated CSE web page.