Young women aged 13-19 from across Solihull came together on July 22nd at an event organised by a group of young women from North Solihull supported by SMBC Youth & Community Service’s Active Involvement Team.

 

The aim of the day was to ensure that all who attended really understood what child sexual exploitation (CSE) is. CSE is a crime that can affect any child, anytime, regardless of their social or ethnic background. It is child abuse and involves perpetrators grooming their victims in various ways, such as in person, via mobiles or online, to gain their trust before emotionally and sexually abusing them. It can take place in many forms, whether through a seemingly consensual relationship, or a young person being forced to have sex in return for some kind of payment, such as drugs, money, gifts or even protection and affection.

 

The NWG is a charitable organisation formed as a UK network of over 3000 practitioners who disseminate information on the issue of child sexual exploitation (CSE) and trafficking. At the event young women learnt what Child Sexual Exploitation is through drama and workshop activities. They then contributed to the NWG summer campaign by decorating or writing thoughts and messages on hand prints. Last September the NWG encouraged members of the public to write on their hands what they were going to do to help tackle CSE. The summer campaign continued this theme, by encouraging people to think about their hands, as we often talk and express ourselves with our hands and experience the world by using them, our hand prints are very individual, and we can make things happen or stop things from happening by using our hands.

 

Each young woman attending the event was encouraged to bring a bra to contribute to the Oxfam big bra hunt. Some of the bras will be sold in Oxfam’s UK shops, but many will be sold by women in West Africa- where quality bras are hard to come by, and where the money raised will make an amazing difference to the lives of poor communities. Oxfam support a number of world wide campaigns around human trafficking which can sometimes be linked to child sexual exploitation.

 

Comments from young women attending the day included:

 

• “The event was useful as it helps people learn who aren’t aware of these things”.
• ”I learnt and enjoyed the day.”.
• “I learnt that grooming is the first stage of sexual exploitation.”.
• “I learnt what grooming is, that it can happen in some relationships and what sexual exploitation is”.
• “I liked the drama as I learnt more and it was enjoyable”.

 

If you live in Solihull and are aged 13-19 and interested in getting involved in what happens for young people in your area,

Please contact: [email protected]

Phone: 0121 714 6314