Child Sexual Exploitation
How consistent, compassionate support helped one young person recognise exploitation for what it was — and leave our care stronger, mentally, physically and emotionally.
The context
Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) is when a young person is exploited — given gifts, drugs, money, affection or status in exchange for sexual favours. Young people are deceived into believing that their relationships with the perpetrators are genuine and consensual, which is exactly what makes CSE so difficult to safeguard against: the young person often does not see themselves as a victim at all.
Our members of staff have regularly encountered this form of abuse. They are experienced in identifying the indicators of CSE and understand the factors that draw young people into it.
The young person
A young person in our care had been a victim of CSE, with severe consequences. They frequently self-harmed as a way of coping with emotional and physical pain, and initially believed that the people exploiting them were caring figures in their life.
Our approach
- Sensitive safeguarding through relationships. Staff built supportive relationships that allowed the young person to talk about what they were suffering. That one-to-one communication proved vital — both in supporting the police investigation and in preventing the perpetrators from causing further harm.
- Education, not judgement. Through regular one-to-one sessions, staff helped the young person understand the dangers they had faced, how genuine relationships and environments differ, and strategies for keeping themselves safe.
- Constant presence. Whenever the young person left the home, staff provided continuous support — regardless of the weather, the time of day or the location. Their commitment never wavered throughout the placement.
The outcome
When the time came to move on to a permanent placement, the young person naturally felt mixed emotions. Staff reassured them that they now carried the foundation skills to build trustworthy relationships of their own. They left our care in a stronger and more stable place — mentally, physically and emotionally.
Most importantly, the young person now understands the manipulation tactics perpetrators use and how exploitation works — and faces the future with genuine confidence.