Every year up to 4,000 young women and girls in the UK have their external genitalia removed in a painful and often psychologically damaging practice known as female cutting, or female genital mutilation (FGM).
But despite the practice being against the law, experts say there is a worrying lack of awareness among children's professionals about its existence and how to protect potential victims.
The NSPCC is so concerned about the issue that last month it launched a 24-hour helpline for child victims. It received calls about eight cases in just the first three days, but says more needs to be done to identify potential victims and stop it happening in the first place.
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