The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner in partnership with Hampshire County Council Children’s Services has launched a campaign aimed at parents to raise awareness of child exploitation and offer help on how to see the signs, what to do and where to get help.
Between July 2021 and June 2022, 2,933 children were reported to the Police as going missing. Some of these children went missing on several occasions, whilst children who go missing regularly may be vulnerable to sexual or criminal exploitation.
Exploitation is when individuals or groups take advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child into doing what they want in exchange for something the child wants or needs. This is always to the benefit of the exploiter. This can include the child being coerced into having sex or committing crimes, like carrying and delivering cash or drugs for a gang.
Councillor Roz Chadd, Hampshire County Council’s Deputy Leader and Executive Lead Member for Children’s Services, said:
“This campaign has been launched to help parents understand the warning signs, because they are not always easy to see. While they may look like normal signs of a young person just growing up or gaining independence and new friends, they could be indicators that your child is at risk of exploitation.
“This is a digital campaign which aims to help parents keep their children safe and show those who are worried about their child, or who are seeing these signs, how to get help.”
Donna Jones, Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight said:
“I fund a wide range of services that ensure young people who are at risk, or are victims of abuse or exploitation, get the support they need and my office provides funding to youth based community projects that offer young people access to meaningful activities and help.
Article continues below this advertisement “Better outcomes for all children need a consistent approach to child safety which is why I am really pleased to be launching this campaign in partnership, and taking a child-centred approach to reducing harm on our streets.”
Visit our website to see the support available in your area Is your Child Safe – Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner (hampshire-pcc.gov.uk)
Best thing for child safety is to lock the perverts up and stop letting them out on licence.