Many children have been the hidden victims of the coronavirus pandemic - suffering abuse and neglect at home, further pressures on their mental health and increased risks and vulnerabilities online. 

Now children are back at school, the NSPCC’s Protect and Respect service expects to see a demand to support children who were at greater risk of sexual exploitation and abuse over lockdown.   

In April, we warned that the coronavirus pandemic had provided perpetrators with the perfect opportunity to target children as they spent more time online, due to schools being closed and a lack of routine and social activities. 

Coronavirus: Signs of abuse in lockdown

We are urging teachers and other education professionals to look out for signs of abuse, as they will often be one of the first adults to identify a concern. Schools play a huge part in working together to safeguard children and their role is paramount as young people return to education.  

The NSPCC’s Protect and Respect service is for young people aged between 11 and 19 who have been, or are at risk of being, sexually exploited. Depending on the needs of the young person, there are two services available: awareness-raising group work to help young people learn about healthy relationships, consent and where to get support if in an unsafe situation; or a one-to-one service for young people who may be experiencing exploitation, where we work with the child, parents and carers to increase safety for the child. 

Victims of sexual exploitation

Some of the young people we work with have already been victims of sexual exploitation and we can offer therapeutic intervention to help them begin to process this trauma.  

Since its launch in 2012, the service has supported 3,618 young people at risk of exploitation - and almost half of the referrals came from schools.   

We have released an animation to help raise awareness of the work our frontline staff do.

Most of the cases we’ve seen have started or been facilitated online. A common misconception is that online abuse is less damaging than face-to-face abuse. However, abuse, whether it happens online or offline, can have a lasting impact on young people’s lives.

Safeguarding: The risk of grooming

Child sexual exploitation is a complex type of abuse. It is common for children not to recognise that they are being groomed or exploited. However, the way in which adults react to this can be detrimental to that young person’s trauma recovery.

Damaging perceptions around child sexual exploitation and “victim-blaming language” can increase the self-blame and shame that the young person is carrying and even stop them from disclosing further abuse to safe adults. 

Child sexual exploitation is never the young person’s fault, even if there was a form of exchange, and there is often an imbalance of power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18 into sexual activity.

A child who has experienced any form of abuse requires a safe and non-judgmental space where they can explore and begin to process this trauma. They need to feel heard and valued, as many victims will feel as though they have lost their voice.  

The relationships that we form with young people provide consistency, hope and strength. We have worked hard to maintain this during the pandemic, when children may have been struggling to find a sense of stability.   

If a child is being sexually abused or exploited, teachers may witness a change in the pupil’s behaviour or presentation in school, such as secretive behaviour, a breakdown in peer relationships or self-harm. School safeguarding leads and other education professionals can get in touch with one of our service centres delivering Protect and Respect if they have concerns about sexual exploitation. The contact details are on our website.

Samantha McAuley is NSPCC children’s service practitioner in Nottingham