Child Exploitation Awareness Day 2026

Today (18 March) marks National Child Exploitation Awareness Day, a day which brings together partners to educate, prevent and support victims and families of exploitation.

Protecting children from abuse is everyone’s responsibility. That’s why Safe and Sound, Dudley’s Community Safety Partnership, are committed to raising awareness about child exploitation.

Child exploitation can come in many forms. It can include child criminal exploitation, child sexual exploitation (CSE), human trafficking and modern slavery.

Perpetrators gain a victim’s trust and then use that power to make them do things they don’t want to. Children or young people can be groomed or forced into doing something for another person’s gain.

Any child or young person from any community can be vulnerable to being groomed, exploited and abused regardless of their gender, homelife, religion or background.

The grooming and exploitation can take place anywhere, online or in person.

Grooming is a form of manipulation which might mean the person is unaware that they are being exploited. Their activity could be disguised to their victim as good will gestures in return for praise or gifts, or perpetrators could be supplying their victims with drugs, alcohol or vapes as a way of luring them into unsafe situations.

Often a child is unaware that they have been exploited until it feels too late to get out. They may be unsure of how to leave the situation without getting into trouble or they may feel obliged to remain because of the ‘friendship’ that they have formed with their groomer. The perpetrator may also be threatening to hurt loved ones if the victim tries to break away.

Partners across the West Midlands are joining together to raise awareness of Child Exploitation, using the hashtag #PreventionThroughPartnerships

Spot the signs:

• Change in behaviour – Have they become unusually secretive, fearful or withdrawn, aggressive, distanced themselves from loved ones or got involved in antisocial behaviour?

• Change in friends – Have they suddenly changed who they are spending time with, developed relationships with unknown adults or met new people from social media?

• Change in appearance – Do they look different, lack personal hygiene, talk differently or feel more tired than normal?

• Missing day or night – Are they truant from school, going missing from home or not knowing where they are and who they are with?

• New places – Are they going to new places where they have no known connections?

• Online use – Do you see them spending more time online, distancing themselves, acting secretive and refusing to come offline when asked?

• Injuries – Do they have unexplained injuries, cuts, burns or marks and seem reluctant to seek medical help?

• Possessions – Are they getting unexplained new items or gifts like new mobile phones, drugs or money?

• Coping mechanisms – Do they seem to be acting out of character by turning to substances like alcohol, drugs or are they self-harming?

If you’re concerned about a child in Dudley, visit https://www.dudley.gov.uk/residents/care-and-health/safeguarding/tell-us/for-children/ or call 0300 555 0050. In an emergency always dial 999.

Learn more about #CEADay26 - https://stop-ce.org/national-child-exploitation-awareness-day-2/