6. METODOLOGÍA PROPUESTA
6.5 Análisis de la Información
6.5.3 Cuadro Temático
The first set of discussion points relate to the national context and policy framework and illustrates how these can both inhibit and drive local policy and responses.
Funding
The research has revealed how a lack of available funding for specialised projects and statutory services supporting young people who experience running away and/ or CSE is problematic in a number of ways. In some areas, funding cuts and a general lack of funding has resulted in an absence of provision for these young people. In other areas, funding issues result in services failing to effectively meet needs, either through being unable to meet demand for services or through being inadequately resourced. It is also important to note that failing to provide funding to respond to the needs of these young people has a number of financial costs as well as human costs. For example, Barnardo’s (2011)51, identified that there is an estimated potential saving of £12 for every £1 spent on providing an intervention to young people who experience CSE, in addition to the non-costed reduction in the
51 Barnardo’s (2011) Reducing the Risk, Cutting the Cost: An assessment of the potential savings from Barnardo’s interventions for young people who have been sexually exploited. Barkingside: Barnardo’s.
risk of sexual exploitation. Smeaton (2009)52 found that the average cost of crime among young people who spend time living on the streets was £500,000 per child or young person. In addition, investing in services to meet the needs of young people who experience both running away and CSE will also save costs relating to offending, substance misuse and youth homelessness (Smeaton and Franks, 2011)53.
Commissioning
The research findings highlight the
importance of the process of commissioning of specialised services. Government guidance outlines how the needs of young people who have experienced or are at risk of CSE, and their families, should be considered in the commissioning of services (DCSF, 2009; 7)54. Commissioning constraints can result in services being unable to provide support in a form that appropriately meets needs.
Awareness-raising as part of a preventative strategy
The research findings clearly outline the need for awareness-raising about running away and CSE as part of a preventative strategy. The Tackling Child Sexual Exploitation: Action Plan (DfE, 2011)55 and Safeguarding
Children and Young People from Sexual Exploitation (DCSF, 2009)56 recognise the importance of awareness-raising about CSE with young people; as does the proposed guidance for children who run away and
52 Smeaton E (2009) Street Life. Public Finance, 10 December 2009 www.publicfinance.co.uk/2009/12/street-life/ accessed 6 July 2013
53 Smeaton E & Franks M (2011) Best Practice in the
Commissioning and Delivery of Emergency Accommodation for Children and Young People Who Run Away in Scotland.
54 Department for Children, Schools and Families (2009)
Safeguarding Children and Young People from Sexual
Exploitation. London: DCSF.
55 Department of Education (2011) Tackling Child Sexual Exploitation: Action Plan. London: DfE.
56 Department for Children, Schools and Families (2009)
Safeguarding Children and Young People from Sexual Exploitation. London: DCSF.
go missing from home or care. Awareness- raising activities need to be targeted towards the general public, professionals, parents and carers, and children and young people. Young people have stressed the effectiveness of having young people who themselves have experience of running away and CSE deliver awareness raising and preventative work. This is also emphasised in the Tackling Child Sexual Exploitation: Action Plan (DfE, 2011)57. Despite the actions addressing awarenessraising among children and young people, parents and carers, and services outlined by the DfE (Ibid)58, the research findings suggest that there is still a need for further awareness-raising about running away and CSE.
Preventative work needs to include the message that running away and CSE can be experienced by any young person regardless of sex, ethnicity and location. Awareness- raising and preventative strategies also have to reach all communities and be presented in a culturally aware manner that recognises diversity. In particular, the research has highlighted the need for this work in schools. Due to the links between missing school and running away and/or CSE, it is also important to ensure that awareness-raising and preventative work also takes place outside of mainstream settings, such as pupil referral units (PRUs), care homes, youth groups and other environments where young people spend time. Preventative and awareness- raising work should also include drugs and alcohol and safe use of the internet, given the role that these issues play in young people’s experiences of running away and CSE.
There is also need for outreach work to enable young people who are not in touch with services to benefit from awareness-raising and preventative work addressing running away and CSE.
57 Department of Education (2011) Tackling Child Sexual Exploitation: Action Plan. London: DfE.
58 Ibid.
While this research indicated that some adults within the gay community are clear that it is not appropriate to meet with young people they come into contact with via the internet, it also reveals that it is necessary to carry out work with the gay and lesbian community to raise awareness of the impacts of sexually exploiting young people.
Measures to address perpetrators of CSE
While the focus of this research is not upon perpetrators of CSE, it is necessary to address them given the prominent role that they play in young people’s experiences of running away and CSE. Young people’s experiences reveal how perpetrators can encourage running away and/or manipulate a young person’s circumstances when they have run away from home or care, or have been thrown out of home. Safeguarding Children and Young People from Sexual Exploitation (DCSF, 2009; 63)59 outlines how identifying, disrupting and prosecuting perpetrators is a key part of safeguarding young people from sexual exploitation. It is important for professionals to recognise that whatever a young person’s actions are in relation to running away and sexual exploitation, there is an adult who is perpetrating sexual and possibly other criminal offences and that there should be proactive investigation of perpetrators of CSE. It is important that each local area utilises disruption tactics and that professionals from a range of agencies work together to deliver disruption plans. The research highlights how mapping perpetrators is a useful activity and something that specialised projects are often able to contribute to due to the information they receive from the young people they work with.
59 Department for Children, Schools and Families (2009)
Safeguarding Children and Young People from Sexual Exploitation. London: DCSF.
Improving the process for young people involved in police investigations
Being part of a police operation into suspected CSE can be very stressful for young people and in itself can lead to running away to avoid stress and pressure. To prevent this happening and to encourage more young people to press charges against perpetrators of CSE, the process needs to change so that young people as witnesses are not subjected to such high levels of stress and pressure. These findings add weight to the identified need to ensure changes are made to the whole prosecution process.
The role of education providers
The role of education is important and is recognised in statutory guidance addressing CSE (DCSF, 2009)60 and in the Tackling
Child Sexual Exploitation: Action Plan (DfE, 2011)61. As previously described, schools have an important part to play in ensuring vital preventative work takes place with regards to sex education, healthy relationships, drug and alcohol use, internet safety, running away and CSE. The scope for school staff being able to identify when a young person is experiencing difficulties raises the importance of ensuring school staff are aware of possible indicators of running away and CSE and have clear processes to follow when there are concerns.
Improving online safety
As technological developments progress the internet is increasingly used by perpetrators as a medium to meet children and young people and encourage them to run away for sexual exploitation. The internet is also extensively used by young people to seek out others when they feel isolated or uncared for by those around them; and also to seek sexual relationships. Facebook and gay web chat
60 Ibid.
61 Department for Education (2011) Tackling Child Sexual Exploitation: Action Plan. London: DfE.
sites are common routes through which they can be groomed to run away and be exploited, which presents a challenge to safeguarding young people. However, other sites offering support with issues such as bereavement can also be used by perpetrators to target young people. These findings suggest that there is a general need to improve internet site security to protect young people.
Support for parents and carers
The need to provide appropriate and effective support for parents and carers is stressed by both professionals and young people. Support for parents’/carers’ issues and general parenting plays an important role in preventing young people from experiencing running away and CSE. Supporting parents and carers is also a crucial part of responsive measures to address running away and CSE, and will ensure positive outcomes are achieved for both individual young people and the wider family.
Lack of specialised accommodation
The lack of specialised accommodation for young people who experience running away and CSE is regarded as a significant gap in resources to effectively meet needs. As noted in Tackling Child Sexual Exploitation: Action Plan (DfE, 2009)62, previous research carried out by the University of Bedfordshire (2011)63 raises concerns about the availability and appropriateness of accommodation provided by the local authority for Looked After Children who have experienced sexual exploitation. Previous research has also outlined the lack of emergency accommodation for young people who experience running away (Evans et al, 2007;
62 Ibid.
63 Jago S, Arocha L, Brodie I, Melrose M, Pearce J and Warrington C (2011) What’s Going On to Safeguard Children and Young People from Sexual Exploitation? How local partnerships respond to child sexual exploitation. Luton: University of Bedfordshire.
Smeaton, 2010)64. Given the complexities involved in why young people experience both running away and CSE and the associated need for accommodation that supports their needs, further consideration needs to be given to the provision of accommodation.