Definitions of abuse

Broader definitions from NSPCC:

• Child sexual exploitation is a type of sexual abuse. When a child or young person is exploited they're given things, like gifts, drugs, money, status and affection, in exchange for performing sexual activities. Children and young people are often tricked into believing they're in a loving and consensual relationship. They may trust their abuser and not understand that they're being abused.
• Children and young people can be trafficked into or within the UK to be sexually exploited. They're moved around the country and abused by being forced to take part in sexual activities, often with more than one person. Young people in gangs can also be sexually exploited.
• Sometimes abusers use violence and intimidation to frighten or force a child or young person, making them feel as if they've no choice. They may lend them large sums of money they know can't be repaid or use financial abuse to control them.
• Anybody can be a perpetrator of CSE, no matter their age, gender or race. The relationship could be framed as friendship, someone to look up to or romantic. Children and young people who are exploited may also be used to 'find' or coerce others to join groups.

Criminal Exploitation is child abuse where children and young people are manipulated and coerced into committing crimes.

The word ‘gang’ means different things in different contexts, the government in their paper ‘Safeguarding children and young people who may be affected by gang activity’ distinguishes between peer groups, street gangs and organised criminal gangs.

Peer group
A relatively small and transient social grouping which may or may not describe themselves as a gang depending on the context.

Street gang
“Groups of young people who see themselves (and are seen by others) as a discernible group for whom crime and violence is integral to the group's identity.”

Organised criminal gangs
“A group of individuals for whom involvement in crime is for personal gain (financial or otherwise). For most crime is their 'occupation.”

It's not illegal for a young person to be in a gang – there are different types of ‘gang’ and not every ‘gang’ is criminal or dangerous. However, gang membership can be linked to illegal activity, particularly organised criminal gangs involved in trafficking, drug dealing and violent crime.

What is County Lines?

County Lines is the police term for urban gangs exploiting young people into moving drugs from a hub, normally a large city, into other markets - suburban areas and market and coastal towns - using dedicated mobile phone lines or “deal lines”. Children as young as 12 years old have been exploited into carrying drugs for gangs. This can involve children being trafficked away from their home area, staying in accommodation and selling and manufacturing drugs. This can include:

• Airbnb and short term private rental properties
• budget hotels
• the home of a drug user, or other vulnerable person, that is taken over by a criminal gang - this may be referred to as cuckooing.

Trafficking is where children and young people tricked, forced or persuaded to leave their homes and are moved or transported and then exploited, forced to work or sold.  Child trafficking is a form of modern slavery.  Children are trafficked for:

• sexual exploitation
• benefit fraud
• forced marriage
• domestic slavery like cleaning, cooking and childcare
• forced labour in factories or agriculture
• committing crimes, like begging, theft, working on cannabis farms or moving drugs
• illegal adoption

Trafficked children experience many types of abuse and neglect. Traffickers use physical, sexual and emotional abuse as a form of control. Children and young people are also likely to be physically and emotionally neglected and may be sexually exploited.

It can be hard to know when extreme views become something dangerous and the signs of radicalisation aren't always obvious. Radicalisation can be really difficult to spot. Signs that may indicate a child is being radicalised include:

• isolating themselves from family and friends
• talking as if from a scripted speech
• unwillingness or inability to discuss their views
• a sudden disrespectful attitude towards others
• increased levels of anger
• increased secretiveness, especially around internet use.

Children who are at risk of radicalisation may have low self-esteem, or be victims of bullying or discrimination. Extremists might target them and tell them they can be part of something special, later brainwashing them into cutting themselves off from their friends and family.

However, these signs don't necessarily mean a child is being radicalised – it may be normal teenage behaviour or a sign that something else is wrong.

Further information: You can get further information on radicalisation from ACT Early and training available through the government PREVENT elearning training package. Don't forget that any concern for a Scouts member relating to radicalisation must be reported to the Safeguarding Team.

Honour based abuse is a collection of practices used to control behaviour within families in order to protect perceived cultural and religious beliefs and/or honour. 

Violence can occur when perpetrators perceive that a relative has shamed the family and/or community by breaking their honour code. 

Honour based abuse cuts across all cultures, nationalities, faith groups and communities, usually where a culture is heavily male dominated. Relatives, including females, may conspire, aid, abet or participate in honour based abuse, for what might seem a trivial transgression.

A forced marriage is where one or both people do not consent to marriage. They are pressurised or abused to force marriage. It is recognised in the UK as a form of domestic or child abuse; a serious abuse of human rights.

The pressure put on people to marry against their will may be:

• physical: for example, threats, physical violence or sexual violence; and

• emotional and psychological: for example, making someone feel like they are bringing 'shame' on their family.

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is when a female's genitals are deliberately altered or removed for non-medical reasons. It's also known as 'female circumcision' or 'cutting', but has many other names.

FGM is a form of child abuse. It's dangerous and a criminal offence in the UK. We know:

• there are no medical reasons to carry out FGM
• it's often performed by someone with no medical training, using instruments such as knives, scalpels, scissors, glass or razor blades
• children are rarely given anaesthetic or antiseptic treatment and are often forcibly restrained
• it's used to control female sexuality and can cause long-lasting damage to physical and emotional health.

FGM can happen at different times in a girl or woman's life, including:

• when a baby is new-born
• during childhood or as a teenager
• just before marriage
• during pregnancy.