Last month I wrote a post highlighting the #SeriouslyAwkward campaign by the wonderful charity The Children’s Society. They are calling on the government to change the law to protect vulnerable 16 and 17 year olds from harm, exploitation and abuse. I left home at 15, and this is a subject matter exceptionally close to my heart. I feel privileged that I’ve been asked to be a blog ambassador for this campaign, and am able to use my blog to help raise awareness of it.
About the latest phase of the Seriously Awkward campaign
In November 2015 The Children’s Society launched their next phase of the Seriously Awkward campaign, focusing on protecting older teenagers from child sexual exploitation. Read more about the campaign in ‘Old Enough To Know Better? Why sexually exploited teenagers are being overlooked’. They are calling on the Government to strengthen the law so that the police and other agencies can intervene to make sure that 16 and 17 year olds being sexually exploited are protected from harm, get the help they need and the justice they deserve. This isn’t just awkward, it’s serious.
Child sexual exploitation is a widespread problem that can happen to any child up to age 18, in any community. The Children’s Society supports 750 young people a year at risk of, or experiencing sexual exploitation in specialist services across the country. Read about the signs of child sexual exploitation in ‘Keeping the children you love safe’.
Some Seriously Awkward findings on child sexual exploitation
Here are some of the most interesting interesting findings from the research report ‘Old Enough To Know Better? Why sexually exploited teenagers are being overlooked’.
- Teenage girls aged 16 and 17 are more likely to be a victim of a sexual offence than other age groups, with almost 1 in 10 saying they experienced a sexual offence in the last year.
- People who sexually exploit children frequently target the most vulnerable in this age group. They use power, coercion and control; grooming them with drugs, alcohol, gifts, money or false affection to make them submit to sex.
- 16 and 17 year olds can consent to sex in healthy relationships. But it’s seriously awkward that because of legal inconsistencies there is a dangerous lack of understanding about how situations where they are being coerced or groomed into sex constitutes child sexual exploitation, meaning older teenagers are not seen as victims and don’t get protection or help.
- Huge numbers of sexual offences against older teenagers in England and Wales in the last year went unreported and unpunished because victims were gripped by the fear of not being believed, being scared of the process or thought the offence wasn’t worth reporting.
- More than three quarters of cases of reported sexual crimes against 16 and 17 year olds result in no police action against the perpetrator. Only a tiny proportion result in a successful prosecution.
The Children’s Society have joined forces with the Hampstead Theatre, to bring you their critically acclaimed play Firebird
Seriously Awkward is being backed by the Hampstead Theatre, London with their much-talked-about play Firebird. The striking debut play, written by Phil Davies and directed by Edward Hall, sold out fast and created a stir before it closed on 24 October.
Now, Hampstead Theatre and The Children’s Society are presenting a free broadcast, in association with Time Out London, to raise awareness of the deeply misunderstood issues in the play.