Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) is a type of sexual abuse where a child or young person is coerced, manipulated, or deceived into sexual activity in exchange for things they want or need, such as gifts, money, affection, or status. Children and young people are often tricked into believing they’re in a loving and consensual relationship, so the sexual activity may appear consensual. This is called grooming and is a type of abuse.

CSE can happen both in person and online, and does not always involve physical contact. Children and young people may be controlled through intimidation, violence, financial pressure, or blackmail, and may not recognise that they are being abused.

CSE can involve individuals or groups, including gangs, and may include trafficking into and within the UK.  Any child or young person can be affected, including those over the age of 16. Young people in gangs can be sexually exploited.

Children and young people who are sexually exploited may also be made to ‘find’ or coerce others to be abused in this way.

To find out more about CSE, see here

Child Trafficking and modern slavery are forms of child abuse. Many children and young people are trafficked into the UK from other countries like Vietnam, Albania and Romania. Children are also trafficked around the UK. Child trafficking is where children and young people are tricked, forced or persuaded to leave their homes and are moved or transported and then exploited, forced to work or sold. Children are trafficked for: sexual exploitation, benefit fraud, forced marriage, domestic slavery, forced labour, and committing crimes.

Traffickers often groom children, families, and communities to gain their trust, sometimes using threats or false promises of a better future. They may exploit families financially by charging for transport or documents and forcing children to “repay” debts through exploitation, labour, or criminal activity.

Trafficking is driven by profit and can involve individuals, small groups, or large organised criminal networks operating locally or internationally.

To find out more about Child Trafficking, see here

Criminal Exploitation is child abuse where children and young people are manipulated and coerced into committing crimes. It’s not illegal for a young person to be in a gang; there are different types of gangs, and not every gang is criminal or dangerous. However, gang membership can be linked to illegal activity, particularly organised criminal gangs involved in trafficking, drug dealing and violent crime.   

County Lines is a form of criminal exploitation in which organised gangs use children and young people to transport, store, and sell drugs across different areas of the UK, often coordinated through dedicated mobile phone lines.

Children, sometimes as young as 12, may be coerced, groomed, or manipulated into carrying drugs. This can involve being trafficked away from their home area and required to stay in temporary accommodation, such as short-term rentals, budget hotels, or the homes of vulnerable individuals that have been taken over by gangs (known as “cuckooing”).

To find out more about Criminal Exploitation and gangs, see here

To find out more about County Lines, see here

Domestic abuse can happen inside and outside of the home, on the phone, and online. It can happen in any relationship and can continue even after the relationship has ended. Both men and women can be the abuser or be abused.

Domestic Abuse is any type of controlling, bullying, threatening or violent behaviour between people who are or have been in a relationship. It can also happen between adults who are related to each other. Every child deserves a safe and secure home. Witnessing domestic abuse can have long-term effects on children and young people. It can seriously harm them, and witnessing domestic abuse is child abuse.

Domestic abuse can take many forms, including emotional, physical, sexual, economic, and psychological harm. It may involve physical violence, sexual abuse, controlling someone’s finances or daily life, restricting their freedom, monitoring their communications, or making threats to harm them, their loved ones, or their pets.

To find out more about Domestic Abuse, see here

Emotional abuse is any type of abuse that involves the continual emotional mistreatment of a child,  sometimes called psychological abuse. It involves behaviours that deliberately scare, humiliate, isolate, or ignore a child, and is often present alongside other forms of abuse, though it can also occur on its own.

It may include constant criticism, shouting or name-calling, blaming, manipulation, or controlling a child’s life. Emotional abuse can also involve ignoring a child’s needs, limiting their social development, exposing them to distressing situations, or consistently failing to show care, support, or positive attention.

To find out more about Emotional Abuse, see here

FGM is a form of child abuse and a criminal offence in the UK. It is a girl or woman whose genitals are deliberately altered or removed for non-medical reasons. It is also known as ‘female circumcision’ or ‘cutting’, but has many other names. It is often performed by untrained individuals using instruments such as knives, scalpels, scissors, glass or razor blades, usually without anaesthetic or antiseptic. FGM is used to control female sexuality and can cause lasting physical and emotional harm. It can occur at any stage of life, from infancy and childhood to adolescence, before marriage, or during pregnancy.

To find out more about FGM, see here

Grooming is when someone builds trust and an emotional connection with a child or young person to manipulate, exploit, or abuse them. It can lead to sexual abuse, exploitation, or trafficking, and can be carried out by anyone, regardless of age, gender, or race. Grooming can take place over a short or long period of time, from weeks to years. Groomers may build a relationship with the young person’s family or friends to make them seem trustworthy or authoritative.

Children and young people can be groomed online, in person or both – by a stranger or someone they know. This could be a family member, a friend or someone who has targeted them, such as a teacher, faith group leader or sports coach.

Groomers may act as a romantic partner, mentor, authority figure, or dominant presence, using attention, gifts, trips, or advice to gain control. They often isolate children from friends and family, use blackmail, or enforce “secrets” to manipulate and intimidate.

When a child is groomed online, groomers may hide their identity by sending photos or videos of other people. Sometimes this will be of someone younger or the same age as the young person being groomed, to gain their trust as a “peer”. Groomers may target one child online or multiple children.

A groomer can use the same sites, games and apps as young people, spending time learning about their interests and then using this to build a relationship. Online grooming can take place through social media networks, text messages and messaging apps, emails, games, and chat forums.

Children and young people may not realise they are being groomed and can experience mixed emotions, including loyalty, affection, fear, and confusion.

To find out more about grooming, see here

Neglect is the ongoing failure to meet a child’s basic needs and the most common form of child abuse. A child might be left hungry or dirty, or without proper clothing, shelter, supervision, or health care. This can put children and young people in danger. And it can also have long-term effects on their physical and mental well-being.

Neglect can be lots of different things, which makes it hard to spot. There are 4 types of neglect –

Physical neglect involves not providing food, clothing, shelter, or proper supervision.

Educational neglect occurs when a parent doesn’t ensure their child is given an education.

Emotional neglect is the lack of nurture, attention, or stimulation, which may include ignoring, humiliating, intimidating or isolating a child or young person.

Medical neglect happens when a child does not receive appropriate healthcare. This includes dental care and refusing or ignoring medical recommendations.

To find out more about neglect, see here

Non-recent child abuse, sometimes called historical abuse, is when an adult was abused as a child or young person under the age of 18. Sometimes adults who were abused in childhood blame themselves or are made to feel it is their fault. But this is never the case: there is no excuse for abuse. 

See here for reporting non-recent abuse that occurred in The Boys’ Brigade.

To find out more about non-recent abuse, see here

See here for video information for Adult Survivors of Child Abuse
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84G_1gUDM7M

Online abuse is any type of abuse that happens on the internet. It can happen across any device that is connected to the web, like computers, tablets and mobile phones. And it can happen anywhere online, including social media, text messaging and messaging apps, emails, online chats, online gaming, and live streaming sites.

Children and young people can be at risk of online abuse from people they know or from strangers. The abuse might only be happening online, but it can also be part of other abuse which is taking place offline, like bullying and grooming.

To find out more about online abuse, see here

Physical abuse is when someone hurts or harms a child or young person on purpose. It includes hitting with hands or objects, slapping and punching, kicking, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning and scalding, biting and scratching, breaking bones, and drowning.

Physical abuse is any way of intentionally causing physical harm to a child or young person. It also includes making up the symptoms of an illness or causing a child to become unwell.

Bumps and bruises are common in childhood and don’t always indicate abuse. However, repeated injuries, patterns of harm, or explanations that don’t match the injury should raise concern and be reported.

Signs of physical abuse can include bruises, fractures, burns, bite marks, and other injuries, as well as symptoms such as vomiting, drowsiness, breathing difficulties, or seizures. Head injuries in babies and young children are particularly concerning and may present with swelling, unusual behaviour, or loss of consciousness.

To find out more about Physical abuse, see here

Sexual Abuse is when a child or young person is forced, tricked or manipulated into sexual activities. They might not understand that what is happening is abuse or that it’s wrong. They might be afraid to tell someone or behave as though this is normal for them to experience. Sexual abuse can happen anywhere – and it can happen in person or online.

It is never a child’s fault that they were sexually abused – it’s important to make sure children know this.

Sexual abuse can be divided into two types: contact and non-contact, and it can happen both in person and online.

Contact abuse is where an abuser makes physical contact with a child or young person or forces the child to touch the abuser or someone else. It includes sexual touching, forcing a child to take part in sexual activities, or making a child undress or touch someone else. Sexual abuse can include touching, kissing and oral sex. It isn’t just abuse that is penetrative. The contact can be skin-to-skin, but also includes touching on the outside of clothing.

Non-contact abuse is where a child or young person is abused without being touched by the abuser. This can be in person and online. It includes behaviours such as exposing or flashing, exposing a child to sexual acts, showing pornography, encouraging or forcing them to create or share sexual images, or forcing a child to take part in sexual acts or sexual conversations.

Both forms are serious types of child abuse and can have lasting impacts on a child’s well-being.

To find out more about sexual abuse, see here

It is important to recognise that some children experience harm because of certain beliefs held by adults around them. This is known as abuse linked to faith or belief. (It can be referred to as spiritual abuse)

In some cases, a child or young person may be harmed when they are accused of being a “witch”, believed to be possessed by “evil spirits”, or involved in harmful rituals. In these situations, beliefs are misused to control, scare, or justify hurting the child.

Abuse linked to belief usually falls into four key categories:

• Physical abuse – deliberately harming a child’s body (e.g. hitting, burning, or using harmful substances such as rubbing chilli on the skin or eyes).
• Emotional abuse – damaging a child’s mental wellbeing through fear, isolation, or making them believe they are “evil” or “possessed.”
• Neglect – failing to meet basic needs like food, care, education, or safety.
• Sexual abuse – exploiting a child, often using fear or belief as a way to control them.

This type of abuse can happen anywhere in the world

It is not linked to one religion, culture, or community

It most often happens in the child’s home, but can also occur in community or faith settings

For more information about child abuse linked to faith, see here