Dumfries and Galloway Child Protection Committee is supporting the first TV campaign in the UK to tackle child sexual exploitation
The campaign comes as new research shows that 93 per cent of parents have heard of child sexual exploitation, but almost a third (29 per cent) know little about it and over a third (36 per cent) believe it won’t affect their family.
In 2014/15 ChildLine in Scotland provided 635 counselling sessions to children and young people worried about child sexual exploitation, with the NSPCC responding to 62 inquiries from adults in Scotland in the same period. Yet experts feel these figures may be the tip of the iceberg.
The TV advert highlights how to spot the warning signs of this form of abuse and shows how conversations online can potentially lead to a young person placing themselves in danger.
The campaign is aimed at parents and young people aged 11 to 17, with the message that child sexual exploitation can happen to any young person, regardless of their gender or background.
A range of national organisations is supporting the campaign, including Barnardos Scotland, NSPCC Scotland, ChildLine, Police Scotland, and Children 1st.
The TV advert runs alongside activity already taking place in Dumfries and Galloway:
Schools – a comprehensive Health and Wellbeing Programme, Childline Deliveries, Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) and the use of Child Exploitation Online Protection (CEOP) resources supported by training for staff in their use.
Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Youth Work Service delivers a range of awareness raising initiatives for young people and also provide support and guidance to those affected by this issue.
Sexual Health Dumfries & Galloway include a risk assessment for Child Sexual Exploitation for all young people under 16 attending their services and provide relevant support and information.
Leaflets for parents with information and ideas about how to keep children and young people safe online, and advice and guidance on what to do if they are concerned are distributed through our schools, and Police Scotland and Education services jointly run events for parents on Digital Parenting.
Multi-agency training is provided to increase staff awareness of sexual risk taking and Child Sexual Exploitation and how they should respond to concerns.
Liz Jamieson, Independent Chair of the Dumfries and Galloway Child Protection Committee, said:
“Child sexual exploitation is a complex form of abuse in which victims are manipulated, pressurised or forced into taking part in a sexual act in exchange for receiving something – this may include gifts, money, accommodation, drugs, alcohol, or simply affection. It’s often a hidden crime where the child may not understand that they are a victim and so may not come forward to ask for help.
“Research shows that most parents don’t know a lot about the ways in which child sexual exploitation can take place and don’t believe that their family is at risk. The reality is that child sexual exploitation takes many different forms, both online and offline, and can affect any young person regardless of their gender or background.
“Parents and carers can play an important role in helping to keep young people in Scotland safe by making sure they are familiar with the signs of abuse that could indicate a child is at risk of abuse or already being affected.
Dumfries and Galloway Child Protection Committee welcomes and supports this important national awareness raising campaign from the Scottish Government and would urge anyone who has questions or concerns about CSE to visit the website www.csethesigns.scot where advice and support is available.”
Child sexual exploitation involves a young person under the age of 18 being manipulated, forced, pressurised or coerced into taking part in a sexual act in exchange for something.
A new website www.csethesigns.scot provides information and advice on how to spot the warning signs and symptoms, common myths, practical advice for staying safe online and offline and tips for parents on how to have a conversation with their child about healthy and unhealthy relationships.
The research published by YouGov looked at people’s understanding and knowledge of child sexual exploitation in Scotland. It was carried out during 14-20 August and a total of 501 interviews with parents of children aged 11-17 living in Scotland were conducted.
The Scottish Government pledged to develop an awareness raising campaign in the National Action Plan to Tackle Child Sexual Exploitation, published in November 2014.
Local advice on what to do if you are worried about a child or young person can be found on Dumfries and Galloway Council website at www.dumgal.gov.uk by typing “worried about a child” into its search facility.
