The folllowing definitions aim to ensure that all practitioners have a shared understanding of key terminology relating to work with adolescents:
Children
refers to individuals between 0 and 17 years of age.
Adolescents
to those roughly between 10 and 18.
Parents
is used as shorthand to include carers and parental figures. (Hanson and Holmes, 2014)
Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)
refers to 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 under the age of 18 into sexual activity either in exchange for something the exploited child needs or wants, and/or for the financial advantage or increased status of the perpetrator or facilitator. The exploited child 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 (CCE)
is a geographically widespread form of harm which is a typical feature of county lines criminal activity. Due to the close relation between CSE and CCE, the indicators and vulnerabilities are also the same. Child Criminal Exploitation is common in County Lines (see below) and 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. 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 through the use of technology.
Contextual Safeguarding
is an approach to understanding and responding to adolescents’ experiences of significant harm beyond their families. It recognises that the relationships adolescents form in neighbourhoods, schools and online can feature violence and abuse. Parents have little influence over these contexts, and adolescents’ experiences of extra-familiar abuse can undermine child-parent relationships. Practitioners must engage with individuals and sectors that have influence within extra-familiar contexts and recognise that working within these spaces is a critical part of safeguarding practice.
County Lines
is a group (not necessarily affiliated as a gang) establishes a network which often crosses county boundaries, into which drugs (primarily heroin and crack cocaine) are supplied. A mobile phone network is often established to which orders are placed by introduced customers. This activity will commonly (but not exclusively) be controlled by a remote third party.
The group involved in County Lines exploits children and young/vulnerable people to achieve the storage and/or supply of drugs, movement of cash proceeds and to secure the use of dwellings (commonly known as “cuckooing”). The group or individuals exploited by them regularly travel across County Lines, and therefore move between different local authorities to replenish stock/deliver cash.
Debt Bondage
is a method of control used by perpetrators of CSE and CCE to coerce victims into getting involved with/continuing to engage in organised criminal activity. This can include staged robberies.
For example, the young person carrying drugs for the exploiter is robbed and believes they are responsible; however, it was actually organised by the exploiter who then holds this against the young person.
Grooming
is when someone builds an emotional connection with a child to gain their trust for the purposes of sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, or trafficking. Children and adolescents can be groomed online or face-to-face, by a stranger or by someone they know – for example, a family member, friend or professional.
Harmful Sexual Behaviour (HSB)
are sexual behaviours expressed by children and adolescents under the age of 18 years old that are developmentally inappropriate, may be harmful towards self or others, or be abusive towards another child, adolescent, or adult. (Hackett, 2014)
Harmful Traditional Practices
are forms of violence that have been committed primarily against women and girls in some communities and societies for so long that they are considered, or presented by perpetrators, as part of accepted cultural practice. This includes but is not limited to so-called “honour-based” abuse, forced marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM).
Missing
is where anyone whose whereabouts cannot be established and where the circumstances are out of character, or the context suggests the person may be subject of crime or at risk of harm to themselves or another (ACPO, 2013).
Within this definition it is important to consider children missing from education, including those with exclusions, for whom this presents additional risk.
Modern Slavery
is the term used within the UK defined within the Modern Slavery Act 2015. These crimes include holding a person in a position of slavery, forced servitude or compulsory labour, or facilitating their travel with the intention of exploiting them soon after. Although human trafficking often involves an international cross-border element, it is also possible to be involved with modern slavery within your own country. It is possible to be harmed by modern slavery even if consent has been given to be moved.
Children and adolescents cannot give consent to being exploited therefore the element of coercion or deception does not need to be present to prove an offence (National Crime Agency, 2017)
Reachable Moments
are occasions when a child comes into contact with a service at a time when they feel vulnerable.
This presents an opportunity for professionals to make a connection, potentially changing the direction of travel for that child.
Risk
refers specifically to the potentional experience of a significant adversity or abuse that would seriously threaten an adolescent’s life or health.
Risk also refers to the likelihood of experiencing such adversity, or the experience of a wider range of adversities including poor education and poverty, involvement in minor crime, and mental health problems.
We recognise that “risk-taking’”can often serve positive functions in the life of adolescents.
Social, Emotional & Mental Health Needs (SEMH)
is a term that was introduced in the SEND Code of Practice in 2014. It replaced the terms behaviour, emotional, social development (BESD) and emotional & behaviour difficulties (EBD).
Children who have challenges with their emotional and social development may have immature social skills and find it challenging to make and sustain healthy relationships.
Children can be issued with Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) to support with SEMH needs, as well as SEND needs.
Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND)
A child or adolescent has a special educational need if they have a learning support need or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him/her.