Derbyshire charity launches new campaign to protect children from exploitation
Safe and Sound have seen their workload increase 50% during lockdown
A specialist child exploitation charity in Derbyshire has launched a new programme in response to an increased demand on their services.
Safe and sound say that an increase in isolation online grooming and pressure on family finances during the pandemic has led to a rise in the number of children being vulnerable to exploitation.
The charity, which has been working with children and young people in the county for nearly two decades, has secured three years worth of funding for the "Transforming Young Lives" programme from the National Lottery Community Fund.
Their effort will focus on providing additional support for children, young people and their families while raising awareness in the community.
There has also been an increase in criminal drug gangs targeting young people for exploitation, according to the charity.
The National Crime Agency has reported that that the number of “deal lines” used by city gangs to sell drugs around the UK has nearly tripled from 720 to approximately 2,000 over the past year alone and that at least 300,000 people in the UK posed a sexual threat to children, either through physical contact abuse or online.
Safe and Sound CEO Tracy Harrison explained: “There is widespread recognition that child sexual exploitation is interlinked with other forms of exploitation such as county lines, trafficking and radicalisation.
“For example, children who are sexually exploited are trafficked across different geographical areas and girls who are radicalised are often sexually exploited or subject of an arranged or illegal marriage.”
Mrs Harrison continued: “A particular focus for this work, as well as supporting the individual young person and their family, will be to break down the barriers and misconceptions around wider exploitation which can prevent children receiving support as victims.
“For example, young people who are victims of exploitation, such as County Lines, are regarded as and therefore treated as offenders.
“This is similar to the historic approach to child sexual exploitation victims who were seen as and labelled “child prostitutes” rather than victims. This led to children not being taken seriously, not being protected and abuse continuing when it could have been stopped. We can only change this culture collectively.”
Mrs Harrison concluded: “Any boy or girl is at risk of exploitation – regardless of their age, family circumstances, social or cultural background.
“This grant will have a positive impact on our organisation, enabling us to build on the work we have done so far, expand our focus on wider exploitation and develop our expertise in this area of work.