Boys and Young Men and CSE Somerset LSCB Conference

In the headlines… ‘paying for sex with the underage prostitute’ – The Guardian, 25 th June 2013 ‘Football stars on trial over ‘underage hooker’’ – The Sun 18 th June 2013 ‘the girl had told him she was 16’ - Bristol Evening Post, 21 st June 2013 ‘She is a mature 14-year-old with a history of involvement with older men’ - Bristol Evening Post, 17 th June 2013 ‘This would not have been her first sexual encounter.’ – Bristol Evening Post, 17 th June 2013 ‘Trio 'warned' pensioner over teenage prostitute’ – Bristol Evening Post, 18 th March 2012 ‘Bristol girl 'on the run' with older man’ – Bristol Evening Post, 2 nd July 2009 ‘the Honorable Mr Justice Roderick Evans told him young girls had to be protected from themselves’ – Bristol Evening Post, 8 th December 2012 ‘He is not a dangerous paedophile he is a sad, immature man…the girl was not an unwilling partner’ – Daily Express, June 29 th 2013

The Perception –”Prostitution“ or Sex Industry Triangle ”Child Prostitute “ /”Rent Boy “ /Juvenile Sex Worker Punter / Customer Pimp / Facilitator This model suggests that a child or young person is choosing their lifestyle; it allows facilitators, pimps and punters to justify and attempt to legitimise their abuse of children.

CSE RISK INDICATORS Inappropriate sexualised behaviour Young people who are trafficked Gang association Young people with a strong desire/need for money Disclosed relationship with older male Homelessness and sofa surfing Collected/dropped off by car by unknown adults Physical symptoms e.g. sexually transmitted infections or bruising suggestive of physical or sexual assault. Receipt of unexplained money/gifts Sudden change in type of clothing being worn Missing episodes Substance misuse Low self esteem and aspirations Hanging out in areas known to be risky Children with disorganised attachments – seeking love & attention History of sexual abuse/previous CSE Association with risky adults/peers Poor relationships with peers or family Disclosures & Retraction Risky internet and webcam use

My New Friend Film and Exercise

Additional barriers for boys and young men Gender of perpetrators predominantly male – additional barriers/confusion re sexual orientation Gender and masculinity assumptions and stereotypes Communication styles differ. Lower rates of verbal disclosure Professionals misinterpret warning signs or heighten protective factors Services are developed excluding males because of underreporting and lack of identification Authority and the criminalisation of vulnerable males for trauma related behaviour Believe perpetrators are more interested in abusing girls Professionals do not respond with the same urgency as with girls

Models of Exploitation Peer Exploitation Gang Involvement & Drug Running Trafficked Young People Boyfriend Model Online Exploitation Self Generated Indecent Imagery Formal Street or Parlour Based Exploitation Party Model Hotels/Flats Lone abusers but increasingly networked Female abusers Children exploited as recruiters Family members implicated

Barnardo’s: BeWise 2 Sexual Exploitation

Why boys and young men don’t tell? Not viewing it as abuse ‘It was just a bit of fun’ Not remembering ‘I don’t know what’s happening to me’ Shame / embarrassment ‘It’s hard to talk about’ Culture of fear/silence ‘I can/must deal with it myself’ Blame self ‘It only happens to girls – what does that mean about me’ Rewards often appear to outweigh the risks ‘I don’t want to lose what I get’ Violence, assault from perpetrators and fear situation would get worse ‘It will make things worse’ Threats to self or family ‘Other people will find out’ Limitations on police’s ability to respond ‘What’s the point?’ Involvement in other criminal or anti-social activity ‘I don’t want the police involved’ Have tried to tell people and have been judged ‘No one will believe me’ Sense of stigma and judgement ‘I’m not Gay’ or ‘they’ll think I’m pathetic – I should have stopped it’

Top Recommendations: 1. Make decisions and judgements based on risk indicators not gender 2. Make services inclusive of, and accessible to boys and young men 3. Be familiar with trends and technology 4. Consider approach and break down gender stereotypes 5. Challenge and encourage professionals to refer boys and young men 6. Use male specific resources 7. Child Sexual Exploitation is a Child Protection issue – refer to CYPS and Police Safeguarding Team 8. Appropriately and sensitively debrief all young people who have been reported missing 9. Wear clothes that aren’t intimidating 10. Meet young people somewhere they feel safe and comfortable 11. Share intelligence (nicknames, car number plates, locations etc) with Police, CYPS and local specialist agencies 12. Refer young people to specialist support such as BASE

Professional Right, Professional Wrong

“The police came to speak with me and asked me why I was running away. Like I could really say ‘my cousin’s making me suck his dick and his mates’ dicks’. It just wasn’t going to happen.”

B&YM CSE Resources Barnardo’s arch_unit/research_and_publications/sexual_ex ploitation_research_resources.htm The BLAST Project or phone The National Working Group (NWG) CEOP’s Thinkuknow