Advice for parents
Worried about your child?
Child sexual exploitation can be hard to detect and abusers are very clever in their manipulation. Some young people won't even be aware that it is happening to them.
- going missing from home and/or school
- they have unexplained gifts, expensive clothes, mobile phones
- unexplained money, frequently taking part in activities requiring money
- regularly using drugs or drinking alcohol
- mood swings, aggression towards others
- getting into trouble with the police
- truancy or a drop in performance at school
- self-harm e.g. cutting or eating disorders
- change in appearance, or borrowing clothes from others
- always tired
- unexplained relationships with older people
- staying out late, not returning home
- bruising on their arms or body
It's not always easy to know what our children are up to or if anything is bothering them, but any combination of these tell-tale signs is a strong indicator that something is wrong and you should Get help.