Partners across the West Midlands are joining together to raise awareness of Child Exploitation, making sure people know how to spot the signs.
Child exploitation is when a child or young person is groomed, coerced or forced to do something they don’t want to for someone else’s gain.
It can take different forms including child criminal exploitation, child sexual exploitation (CSE) human trafficking and modern slavery.
Perpetrators gain a child’s trust and then use that power to make them do things they don’t want to.
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.
It is child abuse and can involve perpetrators grooming their victims in various ways, such as in person, via mobiles or online, to gain their trust.
Warning signs can include a change in behaviour, having new friends, persistently going missing, secretive relationships with unknown adults, truancy from school, unexplained injuries, constant calls on a mobile phone and the possession of money or new things.
If you’re concerned about a child in Dudley, visit https://safeguarding.dudley.gov.uk/report-it or call 0300 555 0050. In an emergency always dial 999.
