Most children and young people live happy and safe lives and are rarely exploited by someone, however, a small amount of children and young people can find themselves in situations where someone tries to exploit them and make them do things they don’t want to.

The exploitation of children and young people can happen in a variety of different ways and by a variety of people. They could be at risk from child abusers, both young and old, who may use the internet, mobile phones or personal contact to build up trust with children. In extreme cases, children and young people may be at risk of being exploited through involvement in prostitution (either by being manipulated or forced). They may be exploited through work and made or expected to work long hours for little money, which can have a devastating effect on their education and chances in life.

Sexual Grooming

The sexual grooming of children and young people can happen in a variety of ways and can be very subtle in the methods used by child abusers. People who abuse children can exploit the vulnerability and trusting nature of young children or exploit the rebellious and secretive nature of teenagers.

Grooming means that someone is trying to build a relationship up a child, gaining their trust and friendship, and waiting for a time when they can lure them away or con them into thinking they are safe.

The most popular methods that child abusers will use to make and keep contact with children and young people include:

• Over the internet, i.e. emails, chatrooms and personal space areas.
• Mobile phones
• Gifts and presents
• Gaining their trust by sympathising with them, playing on their vulnerability and/or low confidence or low self esteem.
• Pretending to be young people themselves, especially over the internet, and building a friendly and trusting relationship with them.

The relationship you have with your child is the best way you have of preventing your child being at risk of someone praying on them and grooming them. Having good communication and respect for one another will ensure that you always talk to your child, that they will always talk to you and that you will have a friendly trusting relationship with them. That way they are more likely to listen to any concerns you have, talk to you about any problems they may have and how they feel and will be more likely to come to you when they need help or feel vulnerable.

See the ‘Internet Safety’, ‘Boundary Setting’ and ‘Independence and Growing up’ pages on this site for more information.

Exploitation through involvement in prostitution

Sometimes children and especially young people, are at risk of exploitation by people who want to use and abuse them for their own ends. This usually means targeting vulnerable children, gaining their trust, and before they know it using violence and intimidation to achieve their goals. That is, to profit out of abuse.

It is important to remember that at no point do children or young people become involved in prostitution out of their own choice. They have been exploited by people who have conned then, manipulated them and forced them into sexual behaviour that they wouldn’t otherwise have done.

Exploitation through involvement in prostitution can happen in a variety of ways:

• One of the most common methods is an older ‘boyfriend’ developing a relationship with a young girl under the pretence of love. Then manipulating them and making them do things of a sexual nature with other people.
• Sometimes, abuse can happen within the family, and family members or relatives may force their own children into prostitution, by offering ‘sexual services’ to other people in exchange for money or favours.
• People may deliberately target vulnerable young people who have run away from home or use drugs and/or alcohol, and try to manipulate and use them for ‘sexual favours’, luring them into a world of prostitution.
• Other people try to groom children through the internet, or use other ways to build up a relationship with them and gain their trust. See the ‘Internet safety’ page on this site for more information.
• Some young people are also trafficked and deliberately brought into the UK, or moved about within the country, by criminal gangs who use violence and intimidation to keep them virtual slaves in an ‘industry’ which brings them pain and suffering.

For more information see the downloads and links below.

Exploitation at work

Some children and young people are exploited at work and expected to work long hours for little or no money. Sometimes this happens within the family in family run businesses but it can also happen in other situations as well.

It is illegal for children attending school to work more than 12 hours a week. This is because it can have a serious impact upon their education and prevent them from doing well at school and improving their lives in the future.

If you have any concerns that a child is working far too many hours in a shop, factory or business then you should always talk to someone and get advice. Talk to the child first, they may be trying to help their family and, due to lack of money, want to help out as much as they can. By speaking to them you can find out what the story is and see if they are really being exploited and if they need help or support.

If you have concerns then you should contact the Education Welfare Team in the Council, who look after the educational needs and interests of children and young people in the city. They will take your concerns seriously and will try to support the child or young person in their lives.

For more information see the download ‘Child Employment’ below. Alternatively see the ‘Children & Parents Rights' page on this website.

Links

www.faceup2it.org/

Face (Fight Against Child Exploitation) is a website designed by young people to raise awareness of child sexual exploitation. The website offers a range of advice and information and aims to raise awareness of the issues with adults.

www.thinkuknow.co.uk/

The aim of this website is to help parents and carers understand some of the new technology that young people love to use, update families on some of the risks they may come into contact with and empower parents and carers to get involved in helping children be safe in their online experience. The website also has a reporting function which allows users to report abuse and potential abuse online.

www.ceop.gov.uk/

The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre works across the UK and internationally to combat and tackle child sexual abuse wherever and whenever it happens. The CEOP can provide parents and carers with a range of valuable information and advice and offers a reporting function which allows users to report abuse and potential abuse online.

www.nspcc.org.uk/

The NSPCC offers families a range of information, resources and advice regarding child protection, exploitation and child welfare issues.

www.childrenslegalcentre.com/

The Children’s Legal Centre has lots of useful information about child protection and exploitation issues.

www.barnardos.org.uk

Barnardos also offer families and parents advice and information regarding child protection and exploitation. See their website for more information.

www.stopitnow.org.uk/

The stop it now campaign aims to raise awareness throughout society of child abuse, exploitation and child welfare issues. They offer a range of advice and information regarding child abuse and what parents and carers can do to help and protect children.

www.brighton-hove.gov.uk

The Brighton & Hove City Council website also offers information regarding child protection and how families can contact child protection services for more advise and information.