Dumfries and Galloway Council is supporting the first TV campaign in the UK to tackle child sexual exploitation, which launched in Edinburgh on 28 January.
It comes as new research shows 93 per cent of parents have heard of child sexual exploitation, but almost a third know little about it and over a third believe it won’t affect their family.
In 2014/15 ChildLine in Scotland provided 635 counselling sessions to children and young people worried about child sexual exploitation, with the NSPCC responding to 62 inquiries from adults in Scotland in the same period. Yet experts feel these figures may be the tip of the iceberg.
A new TV advert highlights how to spot the warning signs of this form of abuse and shows how conversations online can potentially lead to a young person placing themselves in danger. The TV advert will run alongside outdoor advertising, partnership work with local authorities, PR and social media. The campaign is aimed at parents and young people aged 11-17, with the message child sexual exploitation can happen to any young person, regardless of their gender or background.
A range of partners are supporting the campaign, including Barnardo’s Scotland, NSPCC Scotland, ChildLine, Police Scotland and Children First.
Councillor Jim Dempster, who is Chairman of the Council’s Social Work Services Committee said:
“Our Council prioritises protecting our most vulnerable people and giving our children the best start in life. This campaign will hopefully bring home the reality of how much of a serious issue child sexual exploitation is to both young people and their parents/carers. Child sexual exploitation is a complex form of abuse in which victims are manipulated, pressurised or forced into taking part in a sexual act in exchange for receiving something – this may include gifts, money, accommodation, drugs, alcohol, or simply affection. It’s often a hidden crime where the child may not understand that they are a victim and so may not come forward to ask for help.
This research shows that most parents don’t know a lot about the ways in which child sexual exploitation can take place and don’t believe that their family is at risk. Parents and carers can play an important role in helping to keep young people in Scotland safe by making sure they are familiar with the signs of abuse that could indicate a child is at risk of abuse or already being affected.”
Anyone who has questions or concerns about CSE can visit the website www.csethesigns.scot, where advice and support is available.
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