Understanding Child Sexual Exploitation

Child sexual exploitation is often mistaken for normal teenage behaviour, by adults and sometimes by the child. A young person who believes they chose the relationship, or agreed to what happened, may have no idea they've been abused.

You'll learn what counts as CSE, including abuse online and with no physical contact. You'll also see how abusers work: posing as a boyfriend or girlfriend, cutting a child off from their friends, then calling in a debt for the gifts. You'll know which children are more vulnerable and what to look out for, from an older, controlling partner to going missing or becoming secretive about their phone.

It happens to boys as well as girls, to 16 and 17-year-olds, and to children as young as eight. When something worries you, the next step is your designated safeguarding lead.