Barely a day goes by without another horrific story of child sexual exploitation hitting the headlines.
Every day, police across the country are called in to investigate yet another case of children being sexually abused.
Last week, the issue was in the spotlight during a national child sexual exploitation awareness day.
Among those backing the campaign was Lincolnshire Police, with chief constable Neil Rhodes and Police and Crime Commissioner Alan Hardwick posing for pictures with the words Stop #CSE written across the palm of their hand.
Mr Hardwick described sexual exploitation of children as “one of the greatest evils of society”, adding: “Every effort should be made to stamp it out and every reasonable person should play their part in doing just that.”
Research revealed to coincide with the campaign shows that on average it takes a child seven years to disclose sexual abuse as they either have no one they can trust to turn to, no one who listens or no one who asks.
Supt Hatton, head of the Lincolnshire Police Public Protection Unit, said: “The average seven years that it takes a victim to disclose the abuse could be seven years of torment for that victim, and seven years where the offender continues to abuse them and others.
“Sexual exploitation of children is not only an issue for the police, it is a potential threat to every child and we all need to be aware of the signs.”
Encouraging people from all walks of life to think, spot and speak out against abuse and adopt a “zero tolerance” to abuse was the main focus of the awareness day.
Sheila Taylor, CEO of the charity behind the day, NWG Network, said: “Together we can work to inform, educate and prevent this form of child sexual abuse within the UK.”
She said protecting victims of sexual abuse can be particularly difficult as many do not see themselves as victims, while others can be too scared to come forward because of the power their abusers exert over them.
The Children’s Commissioner for England Anne Longfield has estimated that 16,500 children are at high risk of being exploited for sex across our towns and cities.
She said: “The exploitation of children for sex is a horrific crime which must be stopped.
“Survivors and victims need to be provided with proper support to overcome their experiences; perpetrators need to be pursued and brought to justice; and professionals trained in identifying the signs.
“I am determined to see child sexual exploitation and abuse tackled and will make doing so a high priority during my term as Children’s Commissioner.”
The police service has made radical changes in recent years in the way it handles and investigates child sexual exploitations.
This follows on from allegations of failures seen in Rotherham, Manchester, Oxford and elsewhere.
National Policing Lead for Child Protection Ch Con Simon Bailey said: “Frontline officers are now being trained to spot warning signs of grooming and exploitation.
“They can identify those who are most vulnerable as a result of their living circumstances, or behaviour that indicates a child may already be a victim of abuse.
“Police and our partners can’t rely on victims to come forward and report abuse, because many will slip through the net if we do. There’s a responsibility on everyone in society to do all they can to protect vulnerable people.
“We must all work together and share information to ensure we have as complete an understanding as possible of those children who may be at risk.
“No matter who an offender is, whether they are working alone or with others and regardless of the community they belong to, we are resolute in our determination to identify them and bring them to justice.”
