Child Exploitation

Child exploitation is when someone uses a child for financial gain, sexual gratification, labour or personal advantage.

Using cruel and violent treatment to force a child to take part in criminal or sexual activities often leads to physical and emotional harm to the child, to the detriment of their physical and mental health, education, and moral or social development.

“The exploitation of children can take a number of different forms and perpetrators may subject children and young people to multiple forms of abuse at the same time, such as criminal exploitation (including county lines) and sexual exploitation.”

The Home Office

Child criminal exploitation (CCE)

CCE involves children and young people up to the age of 18. It’s impossible to identify a lower age limit for when children become exposed to CCE as because indications are that the starting ages across all the forms of CCE are getting younger.

Arguably, the younger the child, the less likely they are to be arrested or identified by law enforcement (the age of criminal responsibility – i.e., the age at which you can be arrested for a crime – is 10 years old in England).

Child sexual exploitation (CSE)

In return for gifts, money, drugs, affection, and status, children and young people are coerced, manipulated and deceived into performing sexual activities. It is not just something that affects teenage girls or specific groups and can happen in and out of school.

Modern slavery and trafficking

Modern slavery is mostly a hidden crime, and to get a true picture of its prevalence is challenging. It’s an umbrella term and includes human trafficking. Trafficking doesn’t necessarily involve travel to another country or even long distance nationally.

Gangs and youth violence

Children are increasingly being targeted and recruited online by gangs using social media. Children can easily become trapped by this type of exploitation when gangs can manufacture drug debts which need to be worked off, and/or threaten serious violence towards and/or kidnap victims (or members of their families) if they attempt to leave.

There are services you can ask for help, both locally and nationally.

Remember that some of the behaviours shown by young people are the normal things they should be doing, but if they have suddenly become more secretive about who they are seeing or talking to.

You may also notice some of these behaviours or changes in the way they present:

They may have been given expensive presents or have a large amount of cash.
Have you seen them hiding an injury?
Have there been cars or bikes in the street, outside your address ?
Has unusual post arrived at your address, addressed to your child ?

Maybe it is nothing, but if it is making you concerned seek help or advice from a safeguarding professional.

“See something – Say something“

Contact – Front Door for Families – 01273 290400. (FrontDoorForFamilies@brighton-hove.gov.uk) or visit the links below –

In an emergency always call 999 asking for the police