Anyone who’s been following the discussion that developed in the thread under Polly’s recent post – It doesn’t make it all right – might be interested to know that the Department for Education has published its action plan on tackling child sexual exploitation today:
Tackling child sexual exploitation action plan
And here’s a link to the Guardian’s write up of it – Child sex exploitation to be tackled by government – which I link to here because it includes these absolutely key observations from Anne-Marie Carrie, chief exec of Barnardo’s
“Anne-Marie Carrie, chief executive of children’s charity Barnardos whose campaign Puppet on a String informed much of the action plan, welcomed the move but said there had to be a huge shift in culture and attitudes so that the victims of grooming were not seen as somehow complicit in their abuse.
Particular emphasis had to be given on protecting children in the care system and councils had to work together to ensure children were not being trafficked across county boundaries, she said. “If we start by recognising the size and the scale of this problem it is the first step to recognising it as a child protection issue that is happening everywhere in the country.“
I’ve had a read through the action plan this afternoon, and I have to say I’m really impressed with it. There seems to be a real determination on the part of this government to actually do something about what is a hugely disturbing and growing issue in this country, one that for far too long now local councils and other statutory authorities, for whatever reason, have been doing their best to ignore.
The plan covers all aspects of child sexual exploitation, from the initial grooming stages, looking at vulnerabilities and warning signs, to taking cases through the criminal justice system and exploring ways of making that process less traumatic for survivors, and then to the aftermath and the need to ensure that survivors of child sexual exploitation have support and access to both statutory and voluntary services for as long as they need.
Anyway, if you’ve got time have a read of it. I’ll be interested to know what you think.
Too Much To Say For Myself 
Just having read the Guardian article, the focus seems to be on child sex trafficking and grooming, not highlighting what we all know – that the majority of child sexual abuse goes on within families. So it’s good they highlight the schools’ role, but I would argue that schools, as well as teaching around these issues, need to get better at identifying signs of abuse in children – very difficult, but necessary.
The commercial grooming of female children for c.s.a. is all around is in the pop culture sexualization of little girls.
oops … all around ** us ** , not “is”.
I am so glad that something is getting done about internal trafficking of girls, and that it is being separated out from other forms of abuse of sexual, physical and sexual violence of girls.
It is a huge issue, which is made invisible – for it is made that prostitution must be freely chosen. Therefore most girls who are coerced into prostitution by internal traffickers are not considered victims, but “workers”.
Also, it is hidden because the major method used to coerce girls into the sex trade is the false offering of friendship. For most of the girls come from backgrounds without love or affection – therefore having an young man offering love, money and making her feel special – is a terrible way to trap these girls.
Internal trafficking is not new – I was trafficked in the 70’s – it has been the common method to recruit “fresh meat” into the sex trade for centuries. I want something done – and stop the terrible waste of these girl’s lives.
I’d still like those people who say that the data that some (not all) of the abusers are Asian is particularly to tell me how they’d use that information to stop abuse….And to answer me this. If it emerged that say the majority of violent inner city crime is committed by black men, would you be calling for this to be dealt with on the basis of ethnicity?
Sorry to keep banging on about this but….
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1290047/Metropolitan-Police-crime-statistics-reveal-violent-criminals-black–victims.html
thought provoking eh?
(nb the spamulator ate my link, but the Fail tells me that the statistic about black men and violent crime is FACT.)
Police hold black men responsible for more than two-thirds of shootings and more than half of robberies and street crimes in London, according to figures released by Scotland Yard
You do see my point. Also what evidence is there (as per the grauniad) that political correctness is stopping Asian men being prosecuted? Actual evidence?
The common factor with the vast majority of internal trafficking is that the predators are mainly males, and can come from all backgrounds and cultures. In England, it is mainly done by white males, but also males who are from most ethic groups. It is about having power and control over vulnerable girls and young women – and mainly about making easy money. There is little or no real justice for this violence – only a very few men are arrested, and of those who are sentenced it is usually a too low sentence. Most of these predators remain invisible, and keep their power. It is usually the men low on the pecking order of the sex trade that are arrested – for the men with the real power keep their hands clean by calling themselves businessmen.
Hi Cath,
Thank you for your post which I read with interest. I have spent a lot of time over the past few years highlighting the awful life of street kids in the third world but this recent uncovering of systematic sexual groomimg in our own country is truly shocking. What really sickens me is the fact that it appears some in authority knew this was going on, but because the perpetrators were mainly from an ethnic minority they were frightened to act in case they were accused of racism! Surely a child must be protected from anyone who might groom them regardless of the colour of the abuser.
What really sickens me is the fact that it appears some in authority knew this was going on, but because the perpetrators were mainly from an ethnic minority they were frightened to act in case they were accused of racism!
What is your evidence for this? Sorry but I’m going to keep asking. A lot of men from ethnic minorities HAVE been prosecuted, which would seem to suggest it’s simply not true.
I don’t want to go back to the previous argument about East End gay pride, but there we were told that the police were holding back from prosecuting Muslims because of ‘political correctness’ and it simply wasn’t true there either. Please be aware of how racists exploit, or attempt to exploit this issue.
using terms such as prostitution is very unhelpfull, engaging in sexual activity with a child is abuse, a child under 16 can not consent to abuse therefore can not be seen as a prostitute, it is sexualy exploitation of children, and until the terminology is changed public perception will remain the same.
ohh and this issue has not been recently uncovered just ignored as for the last 17 years that i know of the government have been made aware, changes are slowly happening in our system to change this however not quick enough, its been almost a decade since the sexual offences against a child law was updated to include offences against a child PROSTITUTE, see the terminology and how it is used, even in law how do these children get seen by our justice system as victims of abuse, each and every local authority needs to act now and take responsibility to ensure that no more children are at risk of abuse and in doing this need to recognise what is happening on their front doors, well done publicising this issue.