Think Twice, Think Abuse this Child Exploitation Awareness Day

Sefton Council are marking Child Exploitation Day by promoting a national campaign aimed at encouraging people to ‘think twice, think abuse’ in their everyday life to ensure abuse does not go unrecognised, unchallenged or unreported.  

The campaign highlights the issues surrounding Child Exploitation; encouraging everyone to think, spot and speak out against abuse and adopt a zero tolerance to adults developing inappropriate relationships with children or children exploiting and abusing their peers.

The focus this year is Child Sexual Exploitation, a type of abuse that has significant impact on a child for the rest of their life, causing intense trauma and can impact future development and relationships.

Communities can tackle exploitation together and should know the signs to look for and the vulnerabilities that put young people at risk. The right support at the right time can be crucial in preventing abuse. Child Exploitation Awareness Day aims to promote the message that safeguarding is a concern of everyone in the community. If you have concerns, contact the police or the local authority who will work together to follow up those concerns. If you see something, say something.

This type of abuse is just one form that will be the focus of work for the MySpace team based in Sefton Council and including professionals from health, police and other agencies. Named by cared for young people, the new team (Sefton Protection and Child Exploitation) will work on preventing abuse and safeguarding children. The team will be holding an official launch in May where professionals will gather together with the sole objective of improving preventative services and the services they offer to those suffering abuse.

Cllr Mhairi Doyle, Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Care:

“Child exploitation is an awful thing that can be happening to children and young people with very few obvious signs. It is heartbreaking to think that abuse can go unchallenged and unreported for a long time and the impact this has on individuals and families can extend for decades.

“All of us in Sefton are throwing our weight behind this campaign and urging people in the community to consider safeguarding as a top concern in their day to day life. We all have a part to play and if we ‘think twice, think abuse’ then I know we can all make a difference in our communities.”