Types of abuse and things you might see that cause concern
Exploitation – criminal and sexual
Exploitation involves being groomed, forced, or coerced into doing something that you do not want to do for someone else's gain.
Know the signs:
- Passengers looking distressed, intimidated, or fearful
- Adults requesting rides to and from locations – taking young people with them
- Taking young people to A&E accompanied by adults who are not their parents
- Passengers who appear to be in a vulnerable state through alcohol or drug use
- Passengers who are accompanied by another person when in this state and do not appear to know where they are going
- Unlicensed vehicles hanging around where there are likely to be young people in a vulnerable state looking for a taxi to go home
Child sexual exploitation
Where children and young people ‘receive’ something as a result of them performing and/or others performing sexual acts.
- Boys and girls under 18
- Sometimes believe that they are in a relationship with their abuser, making it difficult for them to see the danger
They may:
- be brought expensive gifts – mobile phones, designer items such as handbags, trainers, or clothing
- have frequent physical injuries
- have problems with drugs or alcohol
Know the signs:
- Taking or collecting young people (boys and girls) from hotels, B&Bs, house parties at odd times of the day
- Called to take the young person and an older adult to a hotel, to someone’s home, or to a club or party
- It’s also common to find victims travelling alone late at night between hotels and a house or flat
Domestic abuse
An incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening, degrading and violent behaviour, including sexual violence, in most cases by a partner or ex-partner, but also by a family member or carer. Victims and perpetrators can be male or female.
Know the signs. A victim of domestic violence may be:
- insulted, intimidated, or threatened
- controlled by bullying and manipulation
- made to conceal injuries from attacks
- told relationship problems are their fault/that they deserve the abuse
- expected to make excuses for the abuser
- prevented from having money of their own, also known as financial abuse
- stopped from making their own decisions
- kept from going out, studying, or working
- kept from seeing friends or relatives
- made to check in with their abuser often
- pushed, slapped, punched, or choked
- forced into sex acts they do not want
If you witness any of the abusive behaviour described above, don't challenge the abuser unless it is unavoidable.
Child abuse
Abuse and neglect are forms of maltreatment of a child. Someone may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm, or by failing to act to prevent harm.
| Type of abuse | Description |
|---|---|
| Physical abuse | This can involve the abuser hitting, burning, shaking, throwing, drowning, or suffocating the child, or making the child ill. |
| Emotional abuse | This can involve the child seeing another person being mistreated, or any behaviour likely to cause long-term emotional harm. |
| Sexual abuse | This can involve forcing a child to watch or participate in sexual activity, leading to sexually inappropriate behaviour. |
| Neglect | This involves failing to meet a child’s care needs, leaving the child dirty, unfed, alone, or unprotected from harm. |
Know the signs:
- May appear fearful
- Have physical injuries
- Appear dirty, unkempt or be wearing inadequate clothing (poorly fitting or inappropriate for the season)
- Be regularly hungry
- Be treated differently to their siblings