Understanding Child Exploitation: Supporting Parents and Families
The PEGS team recently took part in training delivered by Maria Cassidy from the NWG Network, exploring child exploitation, grooming and how we can better support parents and families.
A key message from the session was that exploitation can happen to any child, and perpetrators can use grooming to build trust, create dependency and isolate children and young people from the people who care about them. Grooming can involve friendship, belonging, gifts, money, threats or promises, and can happen online, face-to-face or through both.
For parents, this can be incredibly difficult. A child who is being exploited may become withdrawn, change friendship groups, spend more time away from home or show significant changes in their behaviour.
Exploitation can also have a significant impact on family relationships. When perpetrators seek to isolate a young person from their family, this can contribute to conflict and, in some circumstances, child-to-parent abuse. This is why it is important to look beyond behaviour and consider what might be happening in a child’s life.
At PEGS, we believe parents are an essential part of the safeguarding picture. Parents know their children, often notice changes first and need to feel listened to and supported rather than blamed. The training reinforced the importance of working alongside parents and recognising their experiences.
Prevention is not simply something that happens before concerns escalate. It can be a thread running through all safeguarding work — including helping families understand exploitation, maintain relationships and reduce further harm.
As the training reminded us, safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Sometimes, parents may hold the piece of the jigsaw that helps professionals understand what is really happening. You might hold the last piece of that jigsaw.
Thank you to Maria Cassidy and the NWG Network for helping the PEGS team reflect on how we can continue to support parents and families affected by exploitation.
