Child exploitation - Print version

Child exploitation is the exploitation of any child or young person under the age of 18. 

Exploitation can happen to any child regardless of their age, gender, background, socio-economic status, religion or culture. It occurs across all communities in the UK and whilst some children have additional vulnerabilities, any child can be targeted.  

Perpetrators can be male or female, from any or all backgrounds, communities and religions.   

There is no ‘typical perpetrator’ model and no ‘typical victim’ model. 

Child Exploitation can take many forms, such as sexual exploitation, criminal exploitation, radicalisation, modern slavery and child trafficking. Often children are subjected to more than one form of exploitation at a time. 

Please remember that a child cannot consent to their own exploitation. A child may not consider themselves as a victim, the child may think that they have a free and open choice and are consenting to the criminal activity from free will.

Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)

Child Sexual Exploitation is sexual abuse of children and young people under the age of 18 and it is illegal. CSE happens when children are encouraged (or forced) to take part in sexual activity and receive something in return.

The official definition of CSE from GOV.UK [http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/child-sexual-exploitation-definition-and-guide-for-practitioners#:~:text=Definition%20of%20child%20sexual%20exploitation,Published%2016%20February%202017] is:

“Child sexual exploitation is a form of child sexual abuse. It occurs where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18 into sexual activity (a) in exchange for something the victim needs or wants, and/or (b) for the financial advantage or increased status of the perpetrator or facilitator. The victim may have been sexually exploited even if the sexual activity appears consensual. Child sexual exploitation does not always involve physical contact; it can also occur through the use of technology. “

When a child is exploited into CSE there is no limit or parameters on what the child may receive in exchange, it might be material possessions such as money, drugs, alcohol or gifts. Or it may be something else like a safe place to stay, status, attention or affection. Whatever the child is offered in exchange for sexual activity, is likely to tap into a deep-seated need or aspiration and may not be easy for the child to refuse.

The perpetrators have power over the child by virtue of their age, intellect, gender, physical strength or their economic status. Violence, coercion and intimidation are common in cases of CSE as many perpetrators target children with vulnerabilities. These vulnerabilities can be complex and varied but are usually economic or personal circumstances that leave a child with limited choices.

The child might be groomed into thinking they’re in a consensual relationship and may describe the perpetrator as being their boyfriend or girlfriend and not understand that they’re being abused. Such a relationship in the early stages might feel positive and rewarding at the beginning but later, the ‘relationship’ will descend into violence and intimidation towards the child.

CSE does not always involve a physical aspect, it can also happen through technology for example being told to send or post explicit images of themselves, filming sexual activities or having sexual conversations.

Indicators

Some signs that a child is being exploited in CSE might include:

• Going missing for periods of time, regularly returning home late or staying out late or overnight
• Regularly missing school or not taking part in education.
• Appearing with unexplained gifts, money or possessions.
• Associating with other young people involved in exploitation.
• Being in a controlling relationship or having an older boyfriend or girlfriend
• Having a new group of friends
• Suffering from sexually transmitted infections.
• Pregnancy
• Uncharacteristic and significant mood swings or changes in emotional wellbeing.
• Drug and alcohol misuse.
• Spending time in CSE hotspots.
• Being secretive.
• Changes in behaviour.
• Self-harming.
• Displaying unhealthy or inappropriate sexualised behaviour or language.
• Use of mobile phone and internet that causes concern.
• Involved with or linked to gang activity.
• Being frightened of certain people, places or situations.
• Physical signs of abuse, such as bruising or bleeding in the genital or anal area

Please remember that a child cannot consent to their own exploitation.

As professionals it’s important to remember that exploitation is a form of child abuse and the boundaries may at first seem unclear when intervening with and supporting exploited children. The young people may be viewed at first glance as perpetrators or criminals but it is vital to recognise that they are usually victims as well.

How to respond

If you think a child is in immediate danger always call the emergency services on 999.

To discuss a non-emergency matter with the Police call 101.

If you are concerned that a child or young person is being harmed or is at risk of harm, but there is no immediate danger, or you need advice or information, please call Coventry Children's Services at the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) on 024 7678 8555.

Out of office hours please call the Emergency Duty Team on 024 7683 2222

County Lines

County Lines is a form of criminal exploitation that is illegal and classed as child abuse.

The 2018 Home Office Serious Crime Strategy states that “the definition of a County Line is a term used to describe gangs and organised criminal networks involved in exporting illegal drugs into one or more importing areas [within the UK], using dedicated mobile phone lines or other form of “deal line”. They are likely to exploit children and vulnerable adults to move [and store] the drugs and money and they will often use coercion, intimidation, violence (including sexual violence) and weapons.”

Source The National Crime Agency [https://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/what-we-do/crime-threats/drug-trafficking/county-lines?highlight=WyJjb3VudHkiLCInY291bnR5IiwiY291bnRpZXMiLCJsaW5lcyIsImxpbmUiLCJsaW5pbmciLCJsaW5lJyIsImxpbmVzJyIsImxpbmVzJy4iLCJsaW5lZCIsImNvdW50eSBsaW5lcyJd]

County Lines is a method of exploitation where criminals commonly exploit children under the age of 18 to carry out the visible drug dealing whilst allowing perpetrators to remain at a distance in relative safety. The exploited children do the majority of the work and carry most of the risk. This means the perpetrators can maximise their profits and the individual children involved are viewed as expendable and easily replaceable if they do get apprehended by the police. Threats and intimidation commonly prevent the children from being able to tell the police or other agencies what is happening to them, as the danger to them and their family from being a ‘grass’ or a ‘snitch’ is very real.

County lines often intersects with other serious crimes such as sexual exploitation, violence, money laundering, human trafficking and gun and knife crime. It is possible for one child to be exploited in several ways at the same time.

What are the Indicators of County Lines?

This is not an exhaustive list, but some common indicators of county lines are: 

• Going missing from home or school
• Suddenly having lots of money, new possessions, new clothes or trainers that they cannot account for
• Receiving more calls/texts than usual
• Being very protective of their mobile phone or having multiple phones or SIM cards
• Using new language, words or hand signs you wouldn’t expect them to know
• Changing their appearance, e.g. dressing in a particular way or style, or use of particular colours
• Changes in behaviour e.g. being scared, aggressive, distant or angry
• Talking about an individual or group who have a lot of influence over them
• Hanging around with individuals or groups that are older than them and breaking ties with old friends
• Dropping out of positive activities and hobbies
• Unexplained physical injuries and/or refusal to seek or accept medical treatment
• Travelling alone to places far from home or being found by services out of area
• Unexplained bus or train tickets
• Carrying drugs, large amounts of money or weapons
• Self-harming and substance misuse issues 

As professionals it’s important to remember that exploitation is a form of child abuse and the boundaries may at first seem unclear when intervening with and supporting exploited children. The young people may be viewed at first glance as perpetrators or criminals but it’s vital to recognize that they are usually victims as well.

How to respond

If you think a child is in immediate danger always call the emergency services on 999.

To discuss a non-emergency matter with the Police call 101.

If you are concerned that a child or young person is being harmed or is at risk of harm, but there is no immediate danger, or you need advice or information, please call Coventry Children's Social Care at the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) on 024 7678 8555.

Out of office hours please call the Emergency Duty Social Worker on 024 7683 2222.

Child trafficking and modern slavery

Modern slavery is an umbrella term encompassing activity where one person obtains or holds another human in compelled service. Modern slavery includes (but is not restricted to) servitude, slavery, forced labour and human trafficking. The following definitions are held within the term 'modern slavery' for the purposes of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

These are:

• 'slavery' is where ownership is exercised over a person
• servitude' involves the obligation to provide services imposed by coercion
• 'forced or compulsory labour' involves work or service extracted from any person under the menace of a penalty and for which the person has not offered himself voluntarily
• 'human trafficking' concerns arranging or facilitating the travel of another with a view to exploiting them.

Read more about the Modern Slavery Act 2015. [https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/30/contents/enacted]

Child trafficking

Child trafficking is the movement of children and/or young people under the age of 18 using deception, fraud or force with the aim of exploiting them. It’s a form of modern slavery and is child abuse.

Child trafficking can involve international travel and children being moved globally, so children may be smuggled into the UK for modern slavery purposes, but distance is not always an identification factor. If a child is moved within the UK with the intention of exploitation this is also trafficking, for example a child may be moved from the centre of Coventry to the outskirts, around the West Midlands region or across the country either by themselves or accompanied by others. If a child is given a package of drugs and compelled to walk 200 yards down the same street to deliver these drugs to another house, it’s still trafficking, and the child is being exploited.

Both traffickers and victims can be any gender, from all backgrounds, countries, religions and communities. Traffickers may organise their crimes on a small scale e.g. trafficking a very small number of children or it may be large scale offending e.g. up to an international criminal network that encompasses many crimes as well as trafficking, such as money laundering or fraud.

Methods

Criminals use various methods to obtain children, they may:

• Trick, force or persuade parents or the child to leave their home. Traffickers often use grooming techniques to gain the trust of a child, family or community.
• Promise that the child will have an education or a better future in another place. Families may be asked to pay a fee to the traffickers for arranging the ‘service’ of this e.g. cost of travel or documents
• Traffickers make a profit from the money a child earns through exploitation, forced labour or crime. Often this is explained as a way for a child to pay off a debt they or their family ‘owe’ to the traffickers. This debt may be passed down from the parents to their children to repay.

Although it’s impossible to know exactly how many children and young people are victims, evidence suggests that Modern Slavery is on the increase. Some victims have been trafficked from overseas and some are British victims who might have existing vulnerabilities. Despite their individual circumstances, all are susceptible to the promises of well-paid work and good accommodation, which turns out to be a lie.

Children and young people may experience multiple types of exploitation and may not be able to disclose all forms of their exploitation to professionals. Please find below examples of some forms of child exploitation:

• Forced labour (nail bars, car washes, catering, agricultural work, factory work)
• Forced criminal activity (begging. cannabis cultivation, pick-pocketing, street based theft, drug dealing, gang-related crime, county lines activity)
• Sexual Exploitation
• Domestic Servitude (cooking, cleaning and childcare)
• Benefit Fraud (including pregnant young people exploited for maternity benefits)
• Illegal inter-country adoption and private fostering arrangements
• Forced marriage
• Bonded labour/debt bondage (children can be born into a situation where they must work to pay off a debt incurred by their parents as noted above)
• Organ harvesting (unexplained injuries, extensive missing periods, arrival in the UK with unknown medicines.)

Please note that children cannot consent to their own exploitation and may not recognise that they are a victim of abuse. Children may perceive themselves to be in control of their own situation and consider themselves to be making their own money and having a free choice about whether to participate in the activity.

Signs that a child has been trafficked

Identifying a child who has been trafficked is difficult as they are intentionally hidden and isolated from the services and communities who can identify and protect them.

Signs that a child has been trafficked may not be obvious, but could include:

• rarely leaving the house
• having no time to play
• living apart from family or having limited social contact with friends, family and the community
• appearing unfamiliar with a neighbourhood
• being seen in inappropriate places (for example factories or brothels)
• being unsure of where they live
• having their movements controlled or being unable to travel on their own
• living somewhere inappropriate, like a work address or dirty, cramped, unhygienic or overcrowded accommodation, including caravans, sheds, tents or outbuildings
• lacking personal items
• consistently wearing the same clothes
• often being moved by others between specific locations (for example to and from work) – this may happen at unusual times such as very early in the day or at night
• being unable or reluctant to give details such as where they live
• fearful or withdrawn behaviour, or efforts made to disguise this
• being involved in gang activity
• being involved in the consumption, sale or trafficking of drugs
• having their communication controlled by another – may act as though instructed by, or dependent upon, someone else
• tattoos or other marks indicating ownership
• physical or psychological abuse, ill health, exhaustion or injury – may look unkempt and malnourished
• reluctance to seek help, avoidance of strangers, being fearful or hostile towards authorities
• providing a prepared story if questioned or struggling to recall experiences
• inconsistent accounts of their experiences

How to respond

As trafficking is child abuse it requires an immediate safeguarding response to stop the child being re-trafficked and experiencing more abuse and trauma.

If you think a child is in immediate danger always call the emergency services on 999.

To discuss a non-emergency matter with the Police call 101.

If you are concerned that a child or young person is being harmed or is at risk of harm, but there is no immediate danger, or you need advice or information, please call Coventry Children's Services at the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) on 024 7678 8555.

Out of office hours please call the Emergency Duty Team on 024 7683 2222.

Radicalisation

Find out more about radicalisation and the Prevent duty [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/info/1281/prevent/3883/scope_of_the_prevent_duty]

Preventing youth violence

Coventry Youth Violence Prevention Partnership - a long term approach to empowering young people to be safe in our city.

Coventry City Council, West Midlands Police and local partners launched a 10 year strategy in January 2020 aimed at tackling rising levels of violent crime involving young people.

Based on work in Glasgow, we are using a public health approach working across the system to tackle the root causes of violence, divert those at risk as well as working intensively with those already affected by this issue. There is now widespread evidence from both the UK and internationally that indicates that children living in deprived communities are more likely (than those living in the least deprived areas) to become involved in crime, either as a victim or perpetrator, they are more likely to be excluded from school and they are more likely to experience trauma and adversity growing up. 

Coventry has a good track record in tackling inequality, as evidenced by our work as a Marmot City [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/marmot-monitoring-tool/coventry-marmot-city-story-far]. Tackling inequality in society over the long term will have an impact on reducing violence.

The West Midlands benefits from having a dedicated violence reduction partnership [https://westmidlands-vrp.org/] (VRP) that works closely with partners here in Coventry. They believe that violence is preventable, not inevitable.

The VRU has funded a number of projects across the region. In Coventry, we have a place-based project which takes a whole life course approach to tackling violence working with those as young as 2 years, right through to older age. The project is hosted at the Harmony Family Hub [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/harmonyhub] in the heart of Hillfields. Through co-produced, coordinated primary, secondary and tertiary preventative interventions we aim to continue to develop a whole systems, placed-based approach that mitigates the complex risk factors that make violence more likely, and increases the protective factors. A local provider network is now well established, and will focus pilot activity and continue to ensure we take every opportunity locally to minimise duplication of provision and maximise resources. Follow this work on social media using the #ourhillfields [https://twitter.com/hashtag/ourhillfields?src=hashtag_click]. We are working with the local community to support them and provide opportunities through a variety of initiatives. This initiative is now in the process of being replicated in the Wood End, Moathouse (WEMH) area and will be led by the Moat House Community Trust. View the Moat House Community Trust Facebook page [https://www.facebook.com/MoatHouseCT/]. (Coventry City Council is not responsible for the content of external pages).

Navigating childhood and adolescence is challenging for parents/carers and young people but there is help and support available locally in Coventry. Our family hubs are the gateway to a variety of services and more information about help and support. More information on potential warnings signs in young people. [https://westmidlandsantislavery.org/county-lines-2/]

If you are concerned that a child or children are at risk of immediate harm or that a crime has been committed against a child or children, it is your responsibility to take appropriate action to ensure that all children are safeguarded: Coventry MASH (Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub) Email: MASH@coventry.gov.uk [mailto:MASH@coventry.gov.uk] Tel: 024 7678 8555 and/or West Midlands Police on 101 or 999.

Youth Violence Prevention videos

• Preventing Youth Violence Summit 2020 - Let's Talk
• Home Town video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5i_M1rRvDKg]