Press releases
Whose Child Now? Sexually exploited children still failed by the system, says Barnardo's
Release Date: 17/11/2009
In a report to be published today, Barnardo's is calling for more support for sexually exploited children. It highlights a worrying trend in organised child trafficking for sexual exploitation within the UK and identifies dangers to children who regularly go missing.
There are currently 209 Local Authorities and Trusts across the UK with responsibility for producing Children and Young People Plans (CYPPS), yet only 40 are known to provide any type of specialist service. This is despite new Government Guidance to local authorities, urging them to consider the needs of these children in their planning.
The report, Whose Child Now? is based on a survey of Barnardo’s 21 specialist sexual exploitation services and shows:
- around 80% of Local Authorities do not have any specialist work for sexually exploited children and young people
- Barnardo’s worked intensively with 1060 children and young people who had been sexually exploited over the course of last year (2007/8), in 20 of the 209 Local Authority and Trust areas (1)
- research conducted in London alone for Barnardo’s in 2005 estimated that 1000 children were at risk of sexual exploitation.
Barnardo’s Chief Executive Martin Narey said:
We alone have worked with over 1,000 children who’ve been sexually exploited in just 20 of the 209 local authorities. We don’t know the true extent of this problem. But we know, however hidden from the public eye it might be, it affects many thousands of children.
We shouldn’t have to do this work. But men are not going to stop the predatory sexual abuse of girls and sometimes boys. We shall not stop trying to thwart such men and help their victims escape from their clutches.
No national official records are kept on the number of children exploited in this way and wherever local authorities have asked Barnardo’s to research a potential problem, a number of sexually exploited children have always been identified. Barnardo’s is calling for all Local Authorities and Trusts to ensure the needs of these children are specifically addressed in children’s plans, by commissioning research and then addressing the problem, if necessary with a specific, direct service.
The report also reveals disturbing trends both in child trafficking within the UK for sexual exploitation and the risks to children and young people who go missing:
- Of the 609 sexually exploited children and young people Barnardo’s is currently working with, 90 appeared to have been trafficked within the UK - approximately one in six.
- In England, in 2007 (the most recent figures) there were only 25 proceedings on the grounds of trafficking for sexual exploitation (which includes adults) with only 15 guilty verdicts.
- From the sexually exploited children and young people Barnardo’s is currently working with, around 55% go missing on a regular basis.
Wendy Shepherd, a service and programme manager from the North East says:
I believe that sexual exploitation is becoming more organised; the criminals who abuse are more sophisticated. There are networks of older men grooming and trafficking children within the UK. It’s a growing phenomenon and it’s extremely difficult to police.
Another area of concern for the practitioners is the frightening number of children who go missing repeatedly and are found to have been sexually exploited. It’s a huge risk factor for youngsters and we are worried that it’s still largely being ignored.
National research estimates that around 100,000 young people under the age of 16 run away from home or care each year, across the UK (2)
Barnardo’s will raise awareness of the issue of sexual exploitation with a major TV advertisement to air on national television on Friday 4 December 2009, themed Turning Children’s Lives Around
Notes to editors
Barnardo’s report Whose Child Now? is published on Tuesday, Nov 17, and is available on request under embargo.
A copy of the Turning Lives Around advertisement will be available from Barnardo’s.
Photographs from the campaign are available in JPG format
(1) The 209 local authority and trust figure is comprised of 150 local authorities in England, 22 in Wales and 32 in Scotland and 5 trusts in Northern Ireland.
(2)The Children’s Society’s Still Running II (2005)
Additional information for the report was provided by The National Working Group for sexually exploited children and young people. The NWG is a charity and UK wide network of practitioners, policy makers and researchers working with both children and young people who are at risk of, or who experience, sexual exploitation and their families and carers. Its membership covers voluntary and statutory services and includes representation from health, police, education, youth work, social care, the voluntary sector and central government. Its primary objective is to offer support and advice to practitioners. It also plays a role in developing policy that is informed by practice and feeding into research in this area. www.nationalworkinggroup.co.uk or e-mail camille.warrington@beds.ac.uk
What is sexual exploitation?
Child sexual exploitation is the involvement of a child or young person below 18 in sexual activity for which a remuneration of cash or ‘in kind’ is given to the child or young person, or a third party or person. The perpetrator will have power over the young person by virtue of one or more of the following: age, emotional maturity, gender, physical strength and intellect (Palmer, 2001)
Barnardo’s works with more than 100,000 children, young people and their families in 415 specialised projects in local communities across the UK. For more information about Barnardo’s visit our website at www.barnardos.org.uk.
We believe in the potential in every child and young person, no matter who they are, what they have done or what they have been through. We will support them, stand up for them and bring out the best in each and every child.
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