As reported earlier this week, there’s growing concern about the rise in sexual abuse against children under 13. Now, MSPs have called on the Scottish government to create a co-ordinated national approach to deal with the sexual exploitation of children. In a report from the Public Petitions Committee of the Scottish Parliament, they said that, while good practice did exist, the overall picture was “piecemeal” and more research was needed to reveal the full scale of the problem. However, they also said they’d been shocked by the evidence presented to them by children’s charities.
The Petitions Committee has been taking evidence on the extent of abuse
The investigation began after Barnardo’s handed in a petition calling for new research into the nature and scope of child sexual exploitation in Scotland. It claims that young people suffer sexual exploitation in every Scottish city. They may also be victims in many other parts of the country including rural areas.
The Committee has issued a call for refuges to be set up for young Scots at risk of exploitation. It also wants all schools to offer workshops on sexual attitudes and internet safety. The report went on to suggest that education programmes should show young people how to recognise and challenge sexual exploitation and bullying. It added that the whole area was surrounded by complexities – not least the fact that young people sometimes did not recognise themselves as victims.
David Stewart MSP
‘Real danger’ that exploitation would continue
Committee convener, David Stewart, stressed that there was a very real danger that the exploitation would continue to be hidden if its full extent was not uncovered. He added that the existing work in the area “lacks the clear leadership and co-ordination needed to tackle effectively the sexual exploitation of our children.”
Children’s charities have welcomed the report. The director of Barnardo’s Scotland, Martin Crewe, described the sexual exploitation of children as “a sickening crime, and I think the committee has been shocked by the evidence Barnardo’s Scotland and others have presented.
“We launched out petition on this subject in 2011 because of concerns from our frontline staff about a lack of focus on tackling the sexual exploitation of children in Scotland. The committee took on board these concerns, and have identified a series of important measures in the inquiry that followed our petition to tackle sexual exploitation of children.”
Matt Forde, NSPCC
‘Critical step forward’
Matt Forde, National Head of Service for NSPCC Scotland, described the report as a “critical step forward”. “There is no doubt that Child Sexual Exploitation is a significant issue for young people in Scotland, and one which requires a coordinated, national solution.
“While children from all walks of life – and from the most loving of families – can be affected,” he said, “some will inevitably be more vulnerable than others. For this reason, the committee’s recommendation on tackling other factors such as neglect, which put children at particular risk, is most welcome.
“Importantly, we need to dispel the myth that CSE is simply the outworkings of ‘unsavoury’ generational norms. It is not – it is child abuse. That said, there is a huge amount of work to be done in empowering young people to recognise an abusive situation and know how to protect themselves. We can only do this by instilling values around healthy relationships, and ensuring that young people can access the information and support they need.”
A spokesman for the Scottish government said it did not tolerate any form of child abuse. He went on to explain that it had already taken several important steps including working with child protection experts to produce a report examining the problem of child sexual exploitation in Scotland. “While we will consider the recommendations of this report,” he added, “it is welcome that both the committee and working group findings recognise progress has been made. We are also further updating the National Child Protection Guidance and other work to ensure robust procedures are in place for all children at risk.”