The 18th of March is the annual National Child Exploitation Awareness Day. Child exploitation can take many forms, including sexual exploitation, criminal exploitation, County Lines exploitation and child trafficking. The day is about raising awareness of this issue to help deter perpetrators and to give young people a voice.
This year, the focus of the day is on Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE). This is a form of sexual abuse that involves the manipulation and/or coercion of young people under the age of 18 into sexual activity. We are all being asked to think, stop and speak out against abuse, and adopt a zero tolerance to adults developing inappropriate relationships with children or children exploiting and abusing their peers.
Click HERE to download a leaflet about spotting the signs of child exploitation. You can also visit the Stop Child Exploitation website for further information and for details about how you can support this important work.
If you have any concerns about a child, please contact the Diocesan Safeguarding Team on 01364 645430 (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm). You can also find contact details for the Police and Social Services on our website by clicking HERE