Words by Smiley Team
After 15-year-old Robbie was groomed by a criminal group, he went from shoplifting to carrying drugs, and later to trial. Luckily though, his mum Jenny reached out, and with her support, Robbie was cleared of all charges, passed his GCSEs and found a job.
In a vital move to prevent other young people from getting involved in drug trafficking, The Children’s Society has launched a new educational campaign for parents. Thanks to a team of trained support workers, those with young people in their care can learn how to recognise when their child might have been exploited and how to respond to it.
National Programme Manager at the charity’s Disrupting Exploitation Programme Becky Fedia said: “Support from a parent or carer can be an important step in a child safely exiting an exploitative situation through which they have been groomed then left terrified and traumatised by threats, violence and abuse.
“Changes in children’s behaviour like going missing, using drugs or becoming angry and secretive can put a huge strain on family relationships. Finding out that exploitation is to blame for this will seem daunting and scary for parents, causing worry, stress and feelings of helplessness.”
The charity’s staff will offer online sessions and telephone support to educate parents about county lines, how to spot the warning signs of exploitation and support their child with effective communication. This will tackle a lack of awareness among parents of how vulnerable children are to criminal activity.
A survey of 2,000 parents across the UK by The Children’s Society revealed that over half of parents did not worry about their children falling victim to criminal exploitation. This was despite research showing that any child in any community can be targeted.
Partly funded by the National Lottery Fund, the new campaign will help parents to tackle the problem. It is especially important during lockdown when criminals have adapted their tactics to target children over the internet. This means young people are more likely to be at home, away from the charity workers who’d usually support them, making parents the most likely ones to spot early warning signs.
Creating a positive future for young people, The Children’s Society works with children, their families and the community to improve the situations of children, offering them better chances in life, work and education.
To support this vital cause and help drive positive change, you can either subscribe to give monthly or make a one-off donation.
