Increased risk of child exploitation as families struggle to afford summer activities, charity warns

By Aine Fox, Reporter1st June 2023News EnglandCharities, Child Abuse, Child Protection, Childrens Services, News England, Online Abuse, Social Media, Webwatch

Young people could be left at risk of online exploitation as families struggle to afford activities this summer, a children’s charity has warned.

Barnardo’s said its polling suggested some parents are concerned they will not be able to afford days out and holiday clubs, while children said they would spend more time online during their time off and some might meet up with people they have encountered online.

From its online polling of 1,191 parents and carers across Great Britain, the charity said it found that almost half (46%) said they will struggle to afford family holidays and days out, a quarter (26%) said they cannot fund activities like childcare and holiday clubs, and one in five (21%) will not be able to afford time off work to spend with their children.

In its survey of 729 children aged 11-17 in Great Britain, 71% said they will spend more time online during the holidays than during term time, and 8% said they will meet up with people they have met online this summer.

Some 13% said they already communicate with people they have met online but do not know in person.

Barnardo’s chief executive Lynn Perry (pictured) said that while any child can be at risk of exploitation, some are particularly so in the context of families not being able to afford organised and supervised activities.

She said: “During the pandemic, we saw a rise in new forms of exploitation – with children increasingly groomed, recruited and exploited over social media, chat rooms and on gaming platforms.

“What starts in the virtual world can quickly move to in-person sexual and criminal exploitation.

“Whilst all children, regardless of age, location or background can be vulnerable to sexual and criminal exploitation, with many families struggling to afford the basics, let alone activities for their children during the holidays, some children are particularly at risk this summer.

“We know exploitation can be life-changing, often leaving children traumatised and feeling alone.”

The charity’s senior policy adviser for childhood harms, Jess Edwards, said: “It’s not a child’s responsibility to identify the presence of exploitation in their lives.

“Families can look out for physical signs like unexplained injuries or infections, emotional changes, mental health issues, behavioural changes, displaying more sexualised behaviour, bodily discomfort, or having things such as money or expensive items when you don’t know how they have bought them.”

The NSPCC said the cost-of-living crisis must not be allowed to “fuel another surge in abuse” as happened in the pandemic.

The charity’s senior child safety online policy officer Rani Govender said: “Offenders ruthlessly exploited the conditions created by the pandemic to target young people who were spending more time online and we cannot allow the cost-of-living crisis to fuel another surge in abuse.

“Tech firms are aware of the risks and should ensure that their products are safe for children who rely on them for entertainment and communication, but too many companies are failing to provide their youngest and most vulnerable users with adequate protections.

“It is crucial that the long-awaited Online Safety Bill is as effective as possible in protecting children and holds senior tech managers personally liable if their sites continue to facilitate child sexual abuse taking place at record levels.”

Meanwhile the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) referred to its previous research which found a 9% increase last year compared with 2021 in child sex abuse material containing images and videos made or shared via an internet device with a camera – stating that often in these scenarios a child has been groomed, coerced and encouraged online.

IWF chief executive Susie Hargreaves said: “Parents must know the dangers and have open and frank discussions with their children. Even one good, quality conversation can help prevent this sort of abuse continuing.”