Know the Signs Campaign Launch - Educating Parents, Community, & Businesses to Grooming and Child Exploitation.

Residents and business owners in Staffordshire are being encouraged to get to know the signs of grooming and child sexual exploitation (CSE), as part of our #KnowTheSigns campaign.

Launching today and running to Sunday 6 October, the aim of the campaign is to spread awareness of CSE by educating parents, businesses and the wider community about what to look out for and to encourage reporting.

CSE is child abuse and involves perpetrators grooming their victims in various ways. This can be in person or online to gain their trust before emotionally and sexually abusing them.

Such exploitation can take many forms, with a young person often receiving things in return. These can be physical items such as drugs, money, or gifts (often clothing or expensive trainers), or can be emotional needs such as protection and affection following the abuse.

Staffordshire Police are committed to tackling CSE and making the county a hostile environment for those who seek to sexually exploit children. We are encouraging those who are concerned that a young person they know maybe being sexually exploited to report it. The concern raised could be the one piece in the puzzle that leads to safeguarding that child and identifying those responsible. 

Signs of a child or young person being a victim of CSE can vary. Some examples are:

•             Being withdrawn and sudden changes in their personality

•             Going missing regularly

•             Having unexplained money, new clothing and expensive items

•             Sexual health concerns/indications of sexual activity

•             Concerning or inappropriate relationships and new older friendship groups

•             Recruiting others into exploitative situations

•             Poor mental health.

If you have any concerns, we encourage you to call us on 101, or use the Live Chat function on our website. In an emergency always call 999.

To report anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

For more information on the campaign visit: https://www.staffordshire.police.uk/knowthesigns/

Know the Signs Campaign Launch 25.09.24