From less harm to more good: the role of children and young people’s participation in relation to sexual exploitation
Youth and Policy, 104 (June):
62--79 (2010)Abstract
Recently published government guidance ‘Safeguarding Children and Young People from Sexual Exploitation’ (DCSF, 2009) highlights the need for services to utilise a child centred approach, and take account of the views of sexually exploited young people. Yet the guidance does little to explore how services deliver this commitment and subsequently runs the risk of undermining the value of effective participation work in this field. This in turn reflects the consultation for the guidance itself a process from which children and young people’s voices were wholly absent. This article explores the barriers at practice and policy level to participatory practice with children and young people at risk of, or experiencing sexual exploitation. It begins by briefly presenting the current policy context which frames practice with sexually exploited young people and the participation agenda. This is followed by consideration of the potential barriers to establishing a more participatory practice and recognition of the potential tension between child protection and young people’s involvement. It suggests new ways of thinking about participation work may prevent us from seeing it as secondary to the child protection agenda and that rather than placing these approaches in hierarchy we need to create one that recognises the mutually supportive strengths of both.