Bedfordshire University Research in Practice Children's Society

Tackling Child Exploitation

Working with Uncertainty, Complexity and Curiosity

The resources in this section focus less on what we do and more on how we can apply the emerging evidence we have in relation to child exploitation and extra-familial harm to positively disrupt approaches not designed to meet the challenges of extra-familial harm.

This is a growing body of knowledge and the resources available in these sections will expand as our learning from delivery grows.

Our Working with Uncertainty, Complexity and Curiosity resources acknowledge what a challenging, constantly-moving and strategic context working in child exploitation and extra-familial harm is.

We want to explore how we best approach work in areas where we don’t always know enough to feel comfortable and confident.

Can we hold space for what we don’t know?

Where we don’t ‘know’, is there learning we could draw on or apply to a new context?

What behaviours make complexity feel more manageable?

Is there an opportunity to do something differently?

These resources focus on supporting local areas to critically assess and apply evidence, and to reflect on how this relates to strategic decision-making.

Child neglect and its relationship to sexual harm and abuse: responding effectively to children’s needs

By Research in Practice,

This series of open access evidence scopes considers the potential relationship between neglect and forms of sexual harm and abuse: child sexual exploitation, intra-familial child sexual abuse and harmful sexual behaviours. The scopes examine relatively new and emerging evidence bases to outline the characteristics and prevalence of these different forms of sexual harm and identify

Topics Covered:

‘Time to listen’− a joined up response to child sexual exploitation and missing children

By OFSTED, September 1, 2016

This report summarises the findings from the ‘deep dive’ element of five joint targeted area inspections (JTAIs) conducted by Ofsted, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC), the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation (HMI Probation) between February and June 2016 looking at approaches to child sexual exploitation and missing children.

Topics Covered:

Short Films for Practice – CSE Research: “Child sexual exploitation: a social model of consent”

By Jenny Pearce,

In this short film, Professor Jenny Pearce argues that we need a ‘social model’ of consent to abusive sexual activity, to help us understand the various social and environmental factors that constrain young people’s capacity to provide consent. The accompanying briefing provides additional context and questions for practice reflection to support the Child sexual exploitation:

Topics Covered:

It's wrong…but you get used to it: A qualitative study of gang associated sexual violence towards and exploitation of young people in England

It’s wrong… but you get used to it’ A qualitative study of gang-associated sexual violence towards, and exploitation of, young people in England

By Helen Beckett, Isabelle Brodie, Fiona Factor, Margaret Melrose, Jenny Pearce, John Pitts, Lucie Shuker, Camille Warrington,

This report is a qualitative study of gang-associated sexual violence towards, and exploitation of, young people in England. The report is part of the Inquiry of the Office of the Children’s Commissioner into child sexual exploitation in gangs and groups. The aim was to look at the impact of sexual violence on both girls and

Topics Covered:

Related Topics

Click to explore the topics below.

Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE)DisruptionChild Sexual AbuseAdolescentsMulti-AgencyStrategyCommunityChildren in CareDefinitionsEvidenceDirect workMissingContextual SafeguardingSystems ChangeEquality Diversity & InclusionYoung peopleResearchPracticeVulnerabilitiesAssessmentPartnershipPolicingChild ExploitationTraffickingAccessing servicesLanguageTransitional SafeguardingOrganisational CultureCriminal justiceSocial careYoung person's voiceCOVID-19Harmful Sexual BehaviourGangsCounty LinesChild Sexual Exploitation (CSE)ViolenceDisproportionalityProfessionalsService ProvisionData & IntelligenceParticipationPreventionSafeguardingExtra Familial Harm

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