If there are significant and immediate concerns about the safety of a child, you should contact the police on 999.
Everyone has responsibility to refer a child when it its believed or suspected that a child:
- has suffered significant harm
- is likely to suffer significant harm
If you believe the situation is urgent but does not require the police, please call our out of hours number on 0300 131 2 131 to make a telephone contact.
For further information about what to do if you are worried about a child visit the North Yorkshire Safeguarding Children website.
Child sexual exploitation
Child sexual exploitation is a form of child sexual abuse. It occurs where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18 into sexual activity:
- in exchange for something the victim needs or wants
- for the financial advantage or increased status of the perpetrator or facilitator
The victim may have been sexually exploited even if the sexual activity appears consensual. Child sexual exploitation does not always involve physical contact - it can also occur through the use of technology.
Child criminal exploitation
Child criminal exploitation occurs where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, control, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18 into any criminal activity:
- in exchange for something the victim needs or wants
- for the financial or other advantage of the perpetrator or facilitator
- through violence or the threat of violence
The most common form of child criminal exploitation is ‘county lines’. This refers to gangs and organised criminal networks involved in exporting illegal drugs around the UK using dedicated mobile phone lines or other forms of a ‘deal line’. They are likely to exploit children and vulnerable adults to move and store drugs and money, and they will often use coercion, intimidation, violence (including sexual violence) and weapons. Children can be criminally exploited in other ways, such as theft, acquisitive crime, knife crimes and other forms of criminality and exploitation.
The victim may have been criminally exploited even if the activity appears consensual. Child criminal exploitation does not always involve physical contact, it can also occur using technology like social media platforms
You can report child exploitation to North Yorkshire Police.
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children have a guide to child sexual exploitation online.