Combatting Child Sexual Exploitation with Young People and Parents: Contributions to a Twenty-First-Century Family Support Agenda

Evidence on CSE

Care and support for young people and families affected by CSE frequently appear to be separate from mainstream social work. Support services are often provided by specialists in voluntary organisations, creating a divide between mainstream social work and direct work with young people and families affected by CSE.

Evidence from a 2015 study by Beckett shows that young people affected by CSE often have complex needs and have been in contact with other services, such as health, education, and the criminal justice system. There may be low levels of trust and engagement with statutory services, which can be compounded by professionals' use of inappropriate and insensitive language. Poor responses by professionals can result in children and young people feeling invisible, that their voices are not being heard, they have not been believed or that they are being judged as responsible for their own abuse. This has been explored in recent studies by Ofsted, Hallett and PACE.