What is child sexual exploitation (CSE) ?

Child Sexual Exploitation can be defined as; ‘The Sexual exploitation of children and young people under 18 involves exploitative situations, contexts and relationships where young people (or a third person or persons) receive ‘something’ (e.g. food, accommodation, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, affection, gifts, money) as a result of performing and/or others performing on them, sexual activities’.

Young people have offered their own definition of CSE as the following

‘Someone taking advantage of you sexually for their own benefit. Through threats, bribes, violence, humiliation, or by telling you that they love you, they will have the power to get you to do sexual things for their own, or other people’s benefit or enjoyment (including: touching or kissing private parts, sex, taking sexual photos’  (As defined by the Young Women’s Group, New Horizons: 2008 (NIA project and Children’s Society)

Sexual exploitation can take many forms from the apparently ‘consensual’ relationships where sex is exchanged for attention/affection, accommodation or gifts, to serious organised crime and child trafficking.

Young people at risk, or victims, of exploitation, often have a number of other vulnerabilities. These may include a disrupted family life, a history of physical or sexual abuse, neglect, domestic violence, problematic parenting, disengagement from education, going missing, drug and alcohol misuse, poor health and well-being, histories of disrupted care placements, and experience of the criminal justice system.

The experience of being abused and exploited then deepens the need for appropriate support and safeguarding. CSE can affect a young person’s ability to form relationships and their mental and physical health. It can trigger self-harm because of feelings of worthlessness, increase the risk of sexually transmitted infections, HIV, unwanted pregnancy and abortion, and lead to isolation from family and friends (DCSF, 2009).

 

Sunrise Transitional Services accommodation therefore has a key role to play in disrupting exploitation and supporting recovery. We aims to provide adequate levels of supervision and helping to break the contact between the young person and abuser in order to help safeguard young people from further abuse.

 

To accommodate children safely we ;
  • ensure that staff members have knowledge about CSE indicator
  • understand how the impact of exploitation has on a young person’s development, behaviour and sense of safety.
  • undertake ongoing risk assessments prior to and during a placement
  •  identify a child’s needs and know how to respond to them
  •  develop individualised safety plans to minimise the risk young people going missing
  • work with other agencies in the young person’s best interests to increase safe
  • increased supervision (Availability of Waking Night staff)

Sunrise Transitional Service works to empower and advocate for young people in our care who have been victims of CSE. Young people are offered the support of a dedicated key worker who will provide emotional and practical support young people, and work with them to begin the process of healing and starting a new life free from exploitation in order to achieve Positive Outcomes.

The key worker will also assist in navigating the legal and social services systems and ensure that their rights as children and individuals are respected.

We ensure that young people;
  • feel safe by providing with safe and secure accommodation with other young people in a similar situation .
  • are empowered to take control of their lives and improve their confidence and self esteem.
  • have access to specialist services to support them such as counselling and mental health,
  • have opportunities to engage in  activities to promote positive self esteem

We provide a written weekly up-date report on the young person’s progress, identifying any issues or concerns that may have arisen throughout the previous weeks. The unit manager is available to attend meeting to further plan/discuss the young person case.

We are fully committed to the pursuit of excellence in our work with young people in our care and we invite you to contact us to discuss your needs and gain a fuller insight into the services we provide.

 

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