Child Sexual Exploitation is where someone is taking advantage of a child sexually for their own benefit.
Some people use technology to make contact with children and young people with the intention of “grooming” them. To groom someone is to prepare someone to do something sexual for the benefit of the person making contact.
Those who seek to groom children or young people might try to gain their trust by using a fake profile picture and fake personal details and by pretending to have similar interests as them.
People who try to groom children and young people want them to believe their lies so that they can get information about them:
- their age
- where they live
- who else might use the computer that they use or
- who else has access to their mobile phone
Once the groomer has got lots of information from the child or young person about them, they often move conversations towards sexual experiences and interests, often asking the child or young person to send sexual photographs or videos of themselves.
Some people who seek to groom, might move towards wanting to meet up in real life, others might try to blackmail them by threatening to share any images/pictures or videos that the child or young person might have already sent them, with their friends and family, if the child or young person refuses to do what they are being asked to do.
Online grooming can take place via chat rooms, instant messaging (IM), social networking sites, on line gaming and email and can involve a child or young person being asked to:
- chat about sex online
- do sexual things on webcam
- share naked or sexual pictures of themselves
- look at, or watch pictures or videos of others doing sexual things
- online pornography
- watch the person they are speaking with do sexual things, such as exposing themselves
- meet up face to face with the person they have been speaking to online.
Online grooming can happen to both boys and girls, of any age, and whatever their sexuality and no matter where they’re from or what their cultural background is.
Know the Signs
Even something that seems like normal teenage behaviour could be a sign that a child is being exploited.
These can include:
- Increasing or secretive mobile phone or other devise use
- Excessive amount of time online and being secretive about time online
- A significantly older ‘boyfriend’ or ‘friend’ or lots of new friends
- Change in behaviour – becoming secretive, argumentative, aggressive, disruptive, quiet, withdrawn
- Having unexplained gifts or new possessions such as clothes, jewellery, mobile phones or having money or access to other goods such as alcohol that can’t be accounted for
- Regularly missing from home or school, for unexplained periods of time and or staying out late or all night.
If you have concerns about a child you know, who is at risk of being sexually exploited
Call Leeds City Council Duty and Advice team on: 0113 222 4403
You can also report your concern to West Yorkshire Police by calling 101.
Always call 999 in an emergency.
Deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired people can use textphone 18001 101.
You can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Pace – (Parents Against Child Sexual Exploitation) – offer support for parents - for help and advice call : 0113 240 5226.