Mar 25, 2019 | Opinion
It was National Child Sexual Exploitation Awareness Day last week on Monday 18 March and as such, we felt it important to share some of our understanding about victims of this form of abuse.
Child sexual exploitation (commonly referred to as CSE) is a form of abuse where individuals or groups take advantage of young people by manipulating or deceiving them into sexual activity in exchange for something the victim needs or wants. This could range from money and alcohol to less tangible things such as the attention they crave at a vulnerable time in their lives.
The fact that the abuse can take many forms – from rape and sexual assault to encouraging children to share inappropriate images of themselves – can make it a challenging form of abuse to detect.
During the grooming process, children and young people are often targeted by a perpetrator/s for the purpose of sexual abuse and at first are befriended either online or offline. The perpetrator will build an emotional connection and trust so that a child or young person will believe sexual activity is consensual rather than understanding they have been abused.
The term “victim” often conjures up a picture of someone who may appear depressed, withdrawn, upset and showing visible signs of being afraid. However, many young people who are being groomed feel they are in a normal loving relationship with the person who is exploiting them – that is the nature and the power of grooming. So frequently a young person being exploited will not display typical signs of being a victim.
This is often why victims of child sexual exploitation do not come forwards themselves – most do not see themselves as victims.
Victims of grooming and child sexual exploitation may:
• Seem secretive and/or aggressive – at times because they may be protective of the perpetrator;
• Run away from home or go missing from school – to be with a perpetrator or group of perpetrators;
• Seem confident or loud – sometimes because they have been given drugs and/or alcohol by those abusing them or as a coping mechanism for the abuse they now regularly face;
• Appear defensive – they may be being physically threatened, receive threats on their family or be told that they are the ones who would get in trouble with the police if they speak out.
• Appear reluctant to tell anyone about what is happening or has happened to them – some may have had bad experiences with the police or social care or have heard cases where victims were not believed and therefore act with suspicion.
• Feel to blame for their abuse – being told by a perpetrator that it is their fault leads to feelings of guilt or shame which may also lead to their reluctance to talk about the abuse.
Though public perception of victims of child sexual exploitation is beginning to shift thanks to greater understanding, we still have a long way to go. Lack of understanding about how victims respond to child sexual exploitation means behaviours such as skipping school, doing drugs, going missing and ‘taking up police time’ leads them to be dismissed as ‘troublemakers’.
There were examples in high-profile cases in Rochdale and Rotherham for example, of police being alerted to the same drunk young teenage girls, sometimes found in parks or having run away from home or in strange houses with older men. Young people who were being sexually exploited were often from more disadvantaged areas and backgrounds known for higher levels of crime, leading them to be criminalised by police rather than provided with the support they needed – as victims of sexual exploitation.
Our specialist team provides support to children as young as seven across Derbyshire who are victims or are at risk of child sexual exploitation. All young people we work with react in different ways to what they have experienced so we tailor our support approach to meet their needs rather than a “one size fits all” approach.
The 1 to 1 support we provide is not time-limited. As part of the help we provide our support workers help young people to recognise that what they have experienced is not their fault and that they are victims of exploitation. We also arm them with knowledge and confidence to help them move to a place of emotional as well as physical safety.
We would urge everyone to be aware that victims of sexual exploitation will not always act in ways that you might expect and they might not initially want support. If you’re concerned about a young person or would like to discuss organising an awareness session for your school, youth club or community group in Derbyshire, please call us on 01332 362120 or email us here.
Mar 18, 2019 | Events, Fundraising, News
A keen runner from a local family-run business has been the first to pledge his support for Safe and Sound’s work to support young people across Derbyshire by entering the Derby Half Marathon this summer.
We have a limited number of free places available for novice and experienced runners alike to enter the half marathon on Sunday June 9. In return for the free place, we are asking runners to raise at least £200 to support our work with children and young people who are victims or are at risk of child sexual exploitation (CSE). Find out more here.
Antoni Jones, a supervisor at Derby Express Couriers, based in West Meadows Industrial Estate, is the first to pledge his support for Safe and Sound.
Antoni explained: “We are Safe and Sound’s delivery partner and were obviously keen to support their work by entering the Derby Half Marathon under their banner.
“Child sexual exploitation is a horrendous crime and there is no way that children and young people should suffer in this way.
“As a family business long-established in the city with local employees and customers, it is important to us to put something back into our local communities.
“I will be proud to be part of Team Safe and Sound and I hope that other individuals and businesses follow our lead and sign up to enter and raise money for this great local charity.”
Safe and Sound chair Catherine Arkley continued: “We are a small local charity who work exclusively with young people in Derbyshire who are victims or are at risk of child sexual exploitation.
“Our specialist support workers help these young people come to terms with their experiences so that they are no longer trapped or defined by them.
“We also raise awareness in local communities so that they can recognise the warning signs of this form of abuse and know where to go for support.
“We rely on public funding to continue this valuable work as well as expand the scope of work with young people and families and are therefore very grateful for this support.”
There are still some places left to support Safe and Sound at the Derby Half Marathon. For more information about how to enter the event and support us, please go to our Derby Half Marathon page here; call 01332 362120 or email Rhiannon.
Mar 15, 2019 | Opinion
There are many assumptions made about perpetrators of child sexual exploitation from things we may see or read online, but in reality, not enough information currently exists to build up a picture of ‘types’ of perpetrators and how or why they commit crimes against children and young people.
The Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse released a paper back in 2017 highlighting knowledge gaps in this area that require further research.
This includes understanding more about the different behaviours of perpetrators and their techniques for targeting and grooming of children and young people. The value of this information is that it may lead to perpetrators being able to be identified and their exploitative behaviours stopped.
Other areas were identified as requiring further research including: men who pay for sex with children, ethnicity and culture factors, different ways abuse is carried out e.g. gangs and groups or online, female perpetrators, harmful sexual behaviours, exploitation through apps, social media and mobile phones and further understanding about how those with disabilities or from vulnerable communities are targeted.
In 2018, research began into many of these areas and interim findings can be found here. The project is due to finish towards the end of this year.
Whatever our knowledge level or the evidence in the future, it is always going to be important that everyone continues to remain vigilant and we do not hold preconceived ideas about perpetrators and how they may look or act.
It’s worth highlighting some of the signs that might indicate that a child is being sexually exploited.
Be aware of:
• Differences in behaviour in your child, they may be drastic but might be subtle;
• Drastic changes in their appearance;
• Staying out later and more regularly;
• Experimenting with drugs and alcohol;
• Being online or on their phone a lot more than usual;
• Their behaviour may become more secretive – you may find they are hiding gifts, money or a new mobile phone, for example, and you don’t know where they have come from.
The tricky aspect of the above list is that some can be seen in many young people as they grow towards being an adult. Taking risks, testing boundaries, seeking independence and being more reliant on peers are seen as part of normal adolescent behaviour. However, parents and carers know their child and may sense or feel something seems unusual, in which case, it’s worth seeking further guidance and support.
At Safe and Sound, we know from experience that there isn’t a ‘typical’ perpetrator of sexual exploitation. They come from all different backgrounds and have different ways of targeting and grooming young people. It’s vital everyone is aware of this. Our pre-conceptions can mean that perpetrators can hide in plain sight and go undetected.
If you have any concerns or just would like to speak to someone for advice, call Safe and Sound on 01332 362120. If you think your child may be at risk of sexual exploitation you can discuss that with a member of our trained support team. Alternatively, you can contact your local safeguarding children board.
If you think you have information about a perpetrator you can call your local police force on 101 and share your information confidentially.
If you ever suspect a child is in immediate danger, you must call 999.
Mar 14, 2019 | Fundraising, News
One of Safe and Sound’s supporters is acclaimed young actress Molly Windsor who made a welcome return to our television screens this week – starring in a new ITV drama ‘Cheat’.
Molly plays student Rose in the four-part psychological thriller which has been aired at 9pm every evening and finishes tonight. After watching the first three episodes, we can’t wait to find out what the conclusion will be.
Molly Windsor (21) won a BAFTA for her role in the 2017 BBC drama ‘Three Girls’. It was based on the high-profile true stories of girls who were groomed and sexually exploited in Rochdale. The series was so important for us in raising awareness of the issues that we deal with on a daily basis.
It took the issue into people’s living rooms – informing millions of viewers about child sexual exploitation – how these young girls were groomed over a long period of time, how difficult it was for them to speak about their experiences and how they were treated by police and social care and in the courts following their ordeals.
Following the series, we got in touch with Nottingham-based Molly and talked to her about our work to transform the lives of children and young people here in Derbyshire.
Having played the role of one of the victims in the television series, she had spoken to some of the young people who’d been affected and as such Molly had a good understanding of the long-lasting impact that child sexual exploitation can have on all aspects of a young person’s life.
Since our initial contact with Molly, she has supported our fundraising campaigns and helped to raise awareness of our work across social media.
Molly said: “After filming BBC drama ‘Three Girls’, I felt very angry that young people who were being sexually exploited were not being cared for by the authorities that are there to protect them.
“This is why Safe and Sound is invaluable and exactly the type of organisation I encourage everyone to support.
“Because of Safe and Sound, our anger at the stories we read about how young people are groomed and abused, can be turned into hope that we can have a society that cares and supports victims.”
Although services at the time in Rochdale failed these young people, we are pleased to see that the general response across the country to child sexual exploitation has been improving. But there is no room for complacency. There is much more that needs to be done and the support of the public and people like Molly is so vital to developing our work.
We are particularly proud to work closely with the police, social care and other organisations to tackle child sexual exploitation in Derbyshire.
The issues we raise and deal with daily can be incredibly difficult to discuss – because they are complex and because they are so sensitive.
People can find the details of victims’ experiences hard to hear and indeed, many victims understandably don’t feel in a suitable place emotionally to talk about what has happened to them more publicly – and they shouldn’t be expected to.
As we approach National Child Sexual Exploitation Awareness Day on Monday 18 March, it’s important to highlight the views of supporters such as Molly who are passionate about talking about the issue of child sexual exploitation and understand why young people need Safe and Sound’s support.
Increasing awareness and understanding of child sexual exploitation will surely contribute towards identifying and supporting those children and young people who are in such desperate need of our help as well work towards preventing it from happening in the first place.
Please email us or call us on 01332 362120 if you’d like to discuss ways to be involved as an official advocate for Safe and Sound or find out other ways you can help us raise awareness.
Mar 13, 2019 | Fundraising
A group of first-time boxers took part in an amateur boxing event on Friday night and collectively raised nearly £1500 for Safe and Sound.
Despite being one of the oldest entrants (he’s still only 40), our Operations Manager Marc won his match on Friday night and has raised £510 to help support our work.
He said: “I have really enjoyed the experience, from keeping fit through regular training provided by Fearon’s Gym and Boxing Academy to helping raise money for Safe and Sound and competing with the other guys on who could raise the most!”
Chair of Safe and Sound Catherine Arkley said “Safe and Sound works with children and young people at risk of sexual exploitation and victims of the abuse all across Derbyshire. By fundraising for us, the participants are helping us to provide support to the most vulnerable children within their communities and demonstrating how important it is to support your local charities working at grassroots level in the areas you live and work.”
You can still donate to the JustGiving team page here where you can also click through to Marc’s page to donate to him directly.
To find out more about fundraising for Safe and Sound, please visit Our fundraising page here or get involved by applying for one of our places in the Derby Half Marathon on Sunday 9 June 2019.
