Health impacts of child sexual exploitation

Appendix to Health Working Group Report on Child Sexual Exploitation. The independent national Health Working Group on Child Sexual Exploitation has published a report designed to help health services improve the health and wellbeing of children who have experienced sexual exploitation.

The report makes recommendations on how NHS, local authority and other health commissioners and practitioners can help protect children, identify and intervene in cases of child sexual exploitation and help children with recovery.

Health impacts include: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD); Substance Abuse; Self Harm; Physical Injury; Denial of the abuse/defence of the abuser: Betrayal Trauma Theory; Depression; Sexually Transmitted Infections; Pregnancy/termination; Flashbacks; Borderline Personality Disorder; Sleep disorders; Eating Disorders; Somatic (Body) Memories; Dissociative Identity Disorder; Suicide.