Oxfordshire’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service is supporting police and professionals to protect young people from child exploitation.

Colleagues have shared their expertise in a video produced by Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber to support councils, schools, parents and carers to spot the signs of exploitation and support children

Mental health support is key

Faye O’Connor, Children’s Mental Health Practitioner with Child Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), said: “A common theme we hear from children is that they feel shame and judgement around their experience of exploitation. They tell us they wish someone had asked them how they were feeling.

“That’s why we work with parents, carers and professionals to create a safe space to support children as they come to terms with the way in which they have been victimised, manipulated and controlled by people who have caused them harm.”

Protecting children is a priority

Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber said: “Our priority is to protect children and we found that working in partnership and reaching out to those who work with children and young people can make a huge difference. That’s why I wrote to Directors of Children’s Services and elected members in councils for Education, as we can all play a part in keeping children safe from criminals who exploit them and cause them harm either in person or online. We urge parents of children in primary and secondary schools and schools themselves to learn, use and share these resources.”

The videos have been prepared using subject matter experts and are drawn from the lived experience of victims. They have been funded through the Violence Prevention Partnership and complement its offer for professionals and those working with young people. Whilst the videos are relevant to anyone working with young people, they have been designed to be Thames Valley generic and primarily aimed at parents and carers of school aged children.

Protecting children, educating parents and carers

Child Exploitation refers to children being coerced or manipulated in person or online to do something they don’t want to, for instance in sexual exploitation, sextortion, county lines drug dealing or forcing a child to commit shoplifting or other crimes.

It can also be child-on-child exploitation. Vikki Green, Exploitation Manager, Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub at Thames Valley Police said: “It’s crucial to remember that a child cannot consent to abuse. Victims can be any gender, of any ethnicity and any background. Thames Valley Police has a child-centre principle, we want every child to be seen, heard and safe.”

Real experiences

The online harm videos share real life experiences of children who were victims, explain different types of online risks, offer practical tips on prevention and on how to recognise signs that a child may be exposed to online harm. In these cases, children start chatting with people online who pretend to go to their school or live nearby and be of a similar age. They, then ask for intimate pictures or videos and proceed to blackmail them financially (Sextortion). Thames Valley Police provides a checklist on how to protect children online and where this can happen (social media, chat apps, gaming platforms) and how to record evidence and report it to the police.

The free Stay True to You resources to support positive conversations and helping young people make their own, good choices.

The videos can be viewed here:

• Child Exploitation
• Online Harm

Victims of crime and their families can access support through the OPCC’s Victims First Service, which provides free and confidential support through a helpline, chat function and website. It gives emotional and practical guidance, as well as signposting victims to specialised support.