Liverpool Safeguarding
Children Partnership (LSCP)

Child Exploitation Awareness Day 2024

Child Exploitation (CE) Awareness Day - 18^th March 2024

 #CEADay24

National Child Exploitation Awareness Day aims to highlight the issues surrounding Child Exploitation as awareness helps everyone to think, spot and speak out about child exploitation and to adopt a zero tolerance to adults developing inappropriate relationships with children, or children exploiting and abusing their peers.

Liverpool Safeguarding Children Partnership (LSCP) and Liverpool City Council supports National Child Exploitation Awareness Day and is working with groups to better understand the issues surrounding CE as well as ways to tackle it.

On the 18^th March there will be a call for all to unite against child exploitation. Our Town Hall will be lit up pink in honour of CEADay 24.

Show your support on social media using #HelpingHands and #CEADay24 and #CEnomorein24 to help raise awareness.

 

What is Child Exploitation?

Child Exploitation (CE) is a term used to describe a form of abuse that targets young people under the age of 18. CE is an umbrella term and encompasses all the ways in which children and young people can be exploited; including Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) and Criminal Exploitation. The criminal exploitation of children is a huge current issue which is gaining more of a national focus and is closely related to County Lines as well as the numerous other ways that children and young people are drawn into drug-related criminal activity.

Child sexual exploitation is a form of child sexual abuse and 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. This is often in exchange for something the victim needs or wants, and/or 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.”

It is NEVER OK for someone to expect anyone to do things they don’t want to do, sexually. Listen to your instinct; if it doesn’t feel right #SaySomething:

The issue of Child Criminal Exploitation is “common in county lines and occurs where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, control, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18. The victim may have been criminally exploited even if the activity appears consensual. Child Criminal Exploitation does not always involve physical contact; it can also occur through the use of technology.”

Ways YOU can help to tackle Child Exploitation

 On 18^th March 2024, we want the world to unite against child exploitation

STOP-CE.org say there are various ways you can show your support:

1. Write a personal pledge on your hands to show support for our Helping Hands campaign. Post your photo on social media with the hashtags #HelpingHands #CEADay24 #CEnomorein24 to help us raise awareness of CSE and wider exploitation.

 

2. Display the Think Twice, Think abuse Campaign and help to raise awareness of Child Exploitation by displaying their banners and posters – designed to encourage participation in the National CE Awareness Day – together we can raise awareness and deter child exploitation.

 

3. Visit websites and use materials from organisations that are working to deter, challenge and stop Child Exploitation to educate yourself, others and share information on #CEADay24:

 

• STOP Child Exploitation (CE)
• NWG Network
• Parents Against Child Exploitation
• Catch 22
• Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP)
• NSPCC
• Barnardo’s
• Childline

Eyes Open Campaign

CE Awareness Day is also good opportunity to highlight the Eyes Open campaign that talks about County Lines and criminal exploitation.

What is ‘County Lines’? 

County Lines is a term used to describe gangs and organised criminal networks involved in dealing illegal drugs, using dedicated mobile phone lines and other forms of ‘deal line.’ This form of gang activity is associated with drug dealing, vulnerable people, exploitation and violence.

County Lines has a devastating impact on young people, vulnerable adults and local communities.

Gangs may use children and vulnerable people to move drugs and money, by criminally exploiting them. They will also seek to establish a base in target locations, typically taking over the homes of local vulnerable adults by force or coercion – this is referred to as ‘cuckooing’.

People exploited in this way will quite often be exposed to physical, mental and sexual abuse, and in some instances will be trafficked to areas a long way from their home as part of the network’s drug dealing business.

The following video illustrates the aim of the Eyes Open campaign:

 

Violence Against Women and Girls

In January 2023 Liverpool City Council launched its Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy. The strategy aims to reduce the number of violence and sexually motivated crimes committed against women and girls, and to also reduce name calling, bullying, harassment and misogynistic comments and attitudes.

Click the image below to access the strategy.

Appropriate Language Guides

To access the Liverpool Appropriate Language Guide, click the image below:

 

Educate, speak out and encourage others to join us in the fight against Child Exploitation

Parents and carers should be made aware of the signs to look out for that could indicate a child is a victim of Child Sexual Exploitation. Spotting the early warning signs and maintaining an open dialogue with their children about their online and offline activities can help to prevent and stop CE from taking place. Parents should also know who to contact if they have concerns about a child.

Decision makers and politicians need to provide a culture in which all of the above can function, thrive and continue to play a key role in ensuring all children are safe from Child Exploitation.

A Decision maker or politician has the responsibility to ensure that their community is engaged in protecting children from Exploitation.

The Local Government Association (LGA) has published a resource pack for Elected Members and Community Leaders:

Tackling child exploitation: resources pack | Local Government Association

Reporting Concerns

People should report any concerns to the police on 101. If on a train, text British Transport Police on 61016. Otherwise contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111

Alternatively you can contact Liverpool’s Children’s Services on 0151 233 3700, Merseyside Police on 0151 709 6010, or the NSPCC for advice on 0808 800 5000

Concerns Around Child Exploitation can also be reported via Merseyside police’s Tell Us webpage.  

Always dial 999 if there is an immediate risk to a child.

Children’s Services CE and Missing Lead, Natalie Cragg, says this:

The local authority works together with a number of agencies to better understand and stop child exploitation. We are committed to ensuring children are safe inside and outside of the family home, including online, but we need help with this task. CE Awareness Day reminds us that we all (service providers, parents / carers, young people and members of the public) have a role to play in protecting our children from those who would actively target and lead them into criminality or sexual activity through coercion, manipulation, deceit and/or threat.

We hope CE Awareness Day will encourage discussion and recognition of the signs that could indicate a child is being groomed / exploited. If you spot these signs please tell us.* Child exploitation is ultimately child abuse we must work together to prevent it.

 

Credit: Ceira Sargeant, Aimee Hadwin and Abbie Gorman, Young Advisors from LSCP worked with Helen Masson-Murphy, Social Worker from Liverpool Children’s Services to create this piece.