Abstract:Practitioners, academics and policymakers are increasingly questioning the sufficiency of safeguarding practice in protecting young people from peer-on-peer abuse in England. Using the findings from an in-depth analysis of nine cases where young people either raped or murdered their peers, this article explores approaches to assessing and intervening with those affected by peer-on-peer abuse. Building upon international calls for a contextual account of abuse between young people, the article identifies a prof… Show more
“…A recent review of peer‐on‐peer abuse files revealed data available on 145 young people. Of these, only 1.4 per cent had recorded evidence of contact with sexual health services (Firimin, ).…”
Child sexual exploitation (CSE) is often characterised by a power imbalance between the abuser and the child. Age difference is one of the power imbalances observed. However, there is no clear guidance on what age difference should raise concern. This article provides empirical evidence on age difference observed between: (a) teenagers (13–17‐year‐olds) who have attended a sexual health clinic and their partners; and (b) teenagers who are already known to children's services owing to significant concerns of sexual exploitation and their partners.
The findings provide recommendations on age cut‐offs that are more likely to be suggestive of the risk of CSE. The paper concludes that an age difference of four years or more for 13–16‐year‐olds and six years or more for 17‐year‐olds should alert professionals to the possibility of exploitation. Overall, about two per cent of teenagers seen in a general sexual health clinic population had partners meeting these age cut‐offs compared with 31.4 per cent of those for whom there were already significant CSE concerns. These age cut‐offs can support professionals, especially those with little or no experience or knowledge of CSE, to make an informed professional judgement.
Key Practitioner Messages
A holistic approach to determining a young person's risk of sexual exploitation should include consideration of the age of the partner.
Age ‘cut‐offs’ can help professionals decide what age difference should trigger concern and support decision‐making.
We recommend age difference ‘cut‐offs’ of four years or more for 13–16‐year‐olds and six years or more for 17‐year‐olds.
“…A recent review of peer‐on‐peer abuse files revealed data available on 145 young people. Of these, only 1.4 per cent had recorded evidence of contact with sexual health services (Firimin, ).…”
Child sexual exploitation (CSE) is often characterised by a power imbalance between the abuser and the child. Age difference is one of the power imbalances observed. However, there is no clear guidance on what age difference should raise concern. This article provides empirical evidence on age difference observed between: (a) teenagers (13–17‐year‐olds) who have attended a sexual health clinic and their partners; and (b) teenagers who are already known to children's services owing to significant concerns of sexual exploitation and their partners.
The findings provide recommendations on age cut‐offs that are more likely to be suggestive of the risk of CSE. The paper concludes that an age difference of four years or more for 13–16‐year‐olds and six years or more for 17‐year‐olds should alert professionals to the possibility of exploitation. Overall, about two per cent of teenagers seen in a general sexual health clinic population had partners meeting these age cut‐offs compared with 31.4 per cent of those for whom there were already significant CSE concerns. These age cut‐offs can support professionals, especially those with little or no experience or knowledge of CSE, to make an informed professional judgement.
Key Practitioner Messages
A holistic approach to determining a young person's risk of sexual exploitation should include consideration of the age of the partner.
Age ‘cut‐offs’ can help professionals decide what age difference should trigger concern and support decision‐making.
We recommend age difference ‘cut‐offs’ of four years or more for 13–16‐year‐olds and six years or more for 17‐year‐olds.
“…Our next two papers explore different aspects of peer‐on‐peer abuse and exploitation, and highlight further disconnects in our approaches to safeguarding children and young people. Carlene Firmin () from Bedfordshire (another Child Abuse Review author who will be presenting at the BASPCAN international congress) has used case review methodology to examine the police records of investigations into nine cases of extreme peer‐on‐peer abuse (murder or multiple rape). In her study, Firmin identified a significant disconnect between the very individualised and family‐focused response of child protection agencies and the realities of the social and environmental contexts within which peer‐on‐peer abuse occurs.…”
Section: Peer‐on‐peer Abuse and Exploitationmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…She found that investigations concentrated on the behaviour of individuals and parental capacity to protect their children and failed to explore the contexts within which the young people had actually been abused. As a result, ‘Assessments focused on the ability of young people, and their families, to avoid abusive peer groups, schools or neighbourhoods, rather than the ability of professionals to make those environments safer.’ (Firmin, , p. 49)…”
Section: Peer‐on‐peer Abuse and Exploitationmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…‘Assessments focused on the ability of young people, and their families, to avoid abusive peer groups, schools or neighbourhoods, rather than the ability of professionals to make those environments safer.’ (Firmin, , p. 49)…”
Section: Peer‐on‐peer Abuse and Exploitationmentioning
“…Young people also encounter sexual violence in public contexts (Firmin, ; Hackett, ; Smallbone and others, ). Young people have been sexually exploited in parks, shopping centres, fast food restaurants and hotels.…”
During adolescence, risk to young people's safety shifts from familial to community contexts. Contextual safeguarding has emerged in response to this dynamic; by providing a conceptual framework through which to incorporate extra‐familial contexts (and those who manage them) into traditionally family focused child protection systems. This paper uses Geographic Information System mapping techniques to explore the extent to which bus boarding data could be used to: target protective interventions in public spaces; evidence routes where young people may be vulnerable; and build local area problem profiles. In doing so it provides foundational evidence for including transport providers in contextual safeguarding systems.
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