Last week, Oxfordshire was the subject of local and national press and media coverage as a result of the publication of the Serious Case Review Report on the Bullfinch case.

In the same week, a group of six men were convicted of very similar offences of sexually abusing and grooming young women in the Banbury area.

One of the common threads is that these men seem to have found, or actively sought, vulnerable young girls, many of whom were in care, or known to social services or the police, and exploited those vulnerabilities.

Last week’s Serious Case Review has identified failings in the care and duty of care owed to these children by the agencies involved with them, as well as a lack of communication at times between the agencies that were supposed to have protected them.

But it is important to note that whatever the failings by the professionals involved with these young people were, the offences themselves were still caused by those who have been convicted of abusing and of grooming these children.

It is also important to be aware that it was not just girls who were in care or from broken homes that were abused by these men.

In other instances of child sexual exploitation, it is not just girls who are at risk, boys can also be groomed, and it is as well to look out for the signs, and to know who to contact if you are concerned.

It is also really important to develop good communication with your child, and to be able to discuss such things with them, and more importantly, for your child to know they can discuss this with you, or to make sure your child knows what signs to look out for and who they need to speak to if they are worried.

As with e-safety, being able to discuss these concerns with your child or with your parent is vital, and is definitely the first step to keeping your child safe.

It is also vital to listen to your child. If you have worries, it’s a good idea to ask ‘open questions’ where the answer is not simply ‘no’ or ‘yes’ or ‘don’t know’.

Start questions with where, how, what, who etc. Try not to interrupt and let your child tell you what they want without allowing your own emotions to show.

Some examples of signs to look out for include (but are not restricted to):

  • A change in behaviour or withdrawn behaviour;
  • Your child might suddenly have acquired new clothes or expensive items such as phones, etc. or seem to have more money than you think they should have;
  • Drug use or substance misuse, including alcohol and cigarettes;
  • Physical injuries such as bruising or burns;
  • Lots of secretive use of the internet or social media sites;
  • You may feel they have become involved in an abusive relationship;
  • They may seem intimidated and fearful of certain people or situations;
  • They may be hanging around with groups of older people, or antisocial groups, or with other vulnerable peers;
  • They may be associating with other young people involved in sexual exploitation;
  • They may have become involved in a gang;
  • They may have gone missing from home, care or education;
  • Self-harm or thoughts about suicide.