Today, March 18, we want the world to unite against child exploitation.

The National Child Exploitation Awareness Day aims to highlight the issues surrounding Child Exploitation; encouraging everyone to think, spot and speak out against abuse and adopt a zero-tolerance to adults developing inappropriate relationships with children or children exploiting and abusing their peers.

Child exploitation is child abuse and although the child may not realise they are being abused, it puts the young victim at huge risk of damage to their physical, emotional and psychological health. You can learn how to spot the signs by visiting www.somethingsnotright.co.uk

The impact of COVID-19 has meant that children and young people have had more access to the internet than ever before. This increased internet use combined with being less visible to others during lockdown means that children are a much greater risk of being exploited online. The NSPCC have also found that the conditions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have made children more vulnerable to being exploited. You can find that research HERE.

What is Child Exploitation?
Child Exploitation is a general term for all the ways in which children and young people can be exploited. Included in this is Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE), and you can find more information about this on the NSPCC website.
Child Exploitation also includes criminal exploitation, where children and young people are drawn into, for example, drug-related criminal activity such as County Lines.

Today, there will be a call for the country to unite against Child Exploitation. Click the links to find out more or write a personal pledge on your hands to show support for the Helping Hands campaign. You can post a photo on social media using the hashtag #HelpingHandsand #CSEDay21 to help raise awareness.

Together, we can tackle child exploitation.
Together, we can work to inform, educate and prevent child abuse within the UK.

LINK ONE – STOP CSE

LINK TWO – CHILD CRIMINAL EXPLOITATION

#HelpingHands #CEADay21