CSE is often referred to as a ‘hidden crime’. Children are scared to report it, and often they are unaware it is a happening to them. The consequences are far reaching and can involve violent sexual assaults, rape and blackmail. CSE does not always involve physical contact and can happen online, where most children live in part, and the consequences can be life changing.

Course overview

This course will increase awareness of Child Sexual Exploitation and Online Grooming as a form of ‘sexual abuse’, and enable social workers to identify vulnerable children and risk factors surrounding them.

The course will enable social workers to safeguard children in a more timely way and gain a better understanding of the legal routes available to them to offer safeguards and secure criminal convictions. They will be able to identify the signs and indicators, providing immediate support to the young person and undertake an appropriate risk assessment and take steps to adequately safeguard.

Key learning points

• Identify the relevant legal framework surrounding CSE and online abuse
• Trigger the referral pathway more readily
•  Define CSE and grooming and identify harmful content online
• Identify vulnerabilities/risk factors /warning signs including ‘The grooming game’
• Distinguish between Consent versus Coercion