Child sexual exploitationA guide for people who work with children and teenagers

What is child sexual exploitation?

Child sexual exploitation is when children and young people are taken advantage of by perpetrators who have a sexual motive.

CSE can happen in any town, city or village. And it can take many forms.

Many offenders now use digital technology, such as social media or mobile phones, to find and exploit children or teenagers.

When abuse takes place online, offenders sometimes request sexual

This booklet contains information for people who work with young people or have a duty of care towards a child. It explains what child sexual exploitation (CSE) is, how to spot it and how to stop it.

Your role in preventing child sexual exploitation

If you work with or come into contact with young people, it is your responsibility to make sure that you:

• Understand what child sexual exploitation is

• Can recognise warning signs

• Know who to contact and how to report any concerns

Because of the complicated relationship between victims and abusers, child sexual exploitation can be difficult to identify.

Victims are usually groomed and manipulated so that they do not come forward or accept help.So people who work with young people play a very important role in spotting and reporting CSE.

photos or videos of young people then threaten to share those images if they don’t carry out more sex acts.

But CSE isn’t confined to the internet. It can take place face to face, by family members, people in positions of trust or people who proactively look for vulnerable children or young people to groom and exploit.

They might bribe young people with money or gifts in return for sexual contact.

Children who socially, economically or emotionally vulnerable, such as those in troubled families, are at increased risk.

How to spot CSE

As someone who works with children or young people, knowing the signs of child sexual exploitation is essential. Here’s what to look for:

• Physical signs, such as bruising or evidence of self-harm. Dressing inappropriately

• Reluctant to discuss who they are socialising with, or regularly goes missing for short spells

• The child suddenly has extra money or new possessions which they cannot account for

• Evidence of drink or drug use

• Mood swings or aggressive behaviour towards adults and children

• Truancy/disengagement with education or change in performance at school

• Low self-esteem/ poor self-image, which may result in eating disorders

How to report concerns

If a child is at immediate risk of harm, always call 999. To report other suspected cases of sexual exploitation, call 101.

If you work in a public-sector organisation, your employer should have a clear process for reporting suspected sexual exploitation. Make sure you know who the child

protection/ safeguarding lead in your agency is and be aware of the procedure to follow if you have concerns about a young person.

North Yorkshire Police has a dedicated CSE team that works on information supplied by the public. The NSPCC also has a 24-hour helpline. Telephone 0808 800 5000 or email help@nspcc.org.uk.

What happens when you report CSE to the police?

Tackling child sexual exploitation is a priority for North Yorkshire Police. It takes any reports extremely seriously and has dedicated staff who will work with you, the victim and their family.

North Yorkshire Police takes reports of CSE extremely seriously. If a child is in immediate danger, they can send officers straight away. All other information will be assessed by a specialist team within 24 hours to safeguard the child. Police may

work with other agencies to help the victim immediately and support them longer term.

All photographs in this booklet feature models