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About our Cut Them Free campaign

We are urging local politicians to take action to protect children in their communities from sexual exploitation – and we need your help

What happens to these young people?

Any child or young person, from any background, can be exploited. Boys and young men can be at risk as well as young women and girls. Children and young people from any ethnic background are at risk.

Many of the children we work with have been ‘groomed’ by an abusing adult – often posing as a ‘boyfriend figure’.

Children are often befriended, lavished with gifts and attention and then gradually drawn into the control of the ‘boyfriend’ – essentially brainwashed so they are vulnerable to sexual exploitation.

Email your local politician by entering your postcode on barnardos.org.uk/cutthemfree

We need your voice whatever area of the UK you live in:

  • In England – You can ask your local authority and Councillors directly how they are addressing child sexual exploitation.
  • In Scotland – You can ask your MSP to sign up to support the campaign.
  • In Northern Ireland – You can sign our petition to the Northern Ireland Police Board and urge them to do all they can to stop the criminal exploitation of children and young people for sex.
  • In Wales - There is still much to tackle sexual exploitation in Wales, and we will be campaigning on this soon. In the meantime, you can sign up to show your interest and we will keep you up to date on the campaign.

More about the campaign