What is Child Exploitation?

Liverpool  Safeguarding Children Boards have adopted the definition of sexual exploitation that is set out in Safeguarding Children and Young People from Sexual Exploitation, Supplementary Guidance to Working Together to Safeguard Children 2009.

https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/publicationDetail/Page1/DCSF-00689-2009

 
Put simply ……….Child sexual exploitation is a very   distressing, form of sexual, emotional and physical abuse of children and young people.

A person under 18 is sexually exploited when they are encouraged into sexual activities by one or more  person(s) who have deliberately targeted their youth and inexperience in order to gain power over them.

It can be extremely difficult to recognise because many of the warning signs are symptomatic of       challenges that all parents of adolescent or near-adolescent children face.

Context

In recent years there have been a number of high profile incidents nationally of children and young people becoming victims of child sexual exploitation (CSE).  LSCBs have responsibility for reporting on and overseeing provision for all vulnerable children, including children and young people at risk of CSE. There is a duty to work in partnership across agencies and in Liverpool we have a systematic focus on these issues.

Prior to 2013, CSE was dealt with by individual Local Authorities however in 2013, the Pan Merseyside Strategy and Protocol was developed and since then the 5 LSCBs and Local Authorities have been working together alongside Merseyside Police to tackle this issue.

The Extent of the Problem Locally

We know in Liverpool is that a number of children and young people have been identified through multi-agency working and have been discussed at the monthly multi-agency CSE meetings (MACSE). The children and young people are identified as being subject to or at risk of child sexual exploitation. 

Nationally we know that the issue has not always been recognised and that the extent of the problem has been underestimated so it is likely that this is also true in Merseyside.

Information for parents and carers:

Parents and carers have a crucial role to play in identifying concerns at an early stage.

If you would like further information in relation to this issue, please visit:

Liverpool Safeguarding Children Board Website:

http://www.liverpoolscb.org/parents.html

The Merseyside Campaign Website:

http://www.listentomystory.co.uk/

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