Report child sexual exploitation

• Becoming especially secretive, stop seeing their usual friends, have really sharp, severe mood swings
• Developing relationships with older men or women (although not all perpetrators are older)
• Going missing from home and being reluctant to say where they have been or what they have been doing – staying out all night
• Receiving calls and messages from outside their normal circle of friends
• New, expensive items which they could not afford, such as mobile phones or jewellery – as well as ‘invisible’ or ‘virtual’ gifts such as phone credit and online gaming credits
• Suddenly changing their taste in dress or music
• Looking tired or unwell and sleeping at unusual hours
• Marks or scars on their body which they try to hide
• Regularly missing school
• Displaying inappropriate sexualised behaviour

When sexual exploitation happens online, young people may be persuaded or forced to:

• send or post sexually explicit images of themselves
• take part in sexual activities via a webcam or smartphone
• have sexual conversations by text or online

If you are a child or young person and something does not feel right, or someone is making you do things that make you feel uncomfortable, it is okay to ask for help.

You will not be in trouble for speaking up, even if you are worried that you were doing something or were somewhere you were not meant to be.

We encourage you to talk to a trusted adult. That could be your parents, a teacher or support worker. You can also always talk to us, the police. We will listen and will do our best to help you.

You contact the police:

• online – fill in the report a crime or incident form
• in person – visit a police station
• call us – on 101

You can also contact Fearless who offer a route for children and young people to give information about crime anonymously.

There are many people who can help you if you do not want to, or are not ready to talk to the police. See support for victims of child sexual exploitation for details of who can provide helpful advice, information and support.

If you are concerned about the wellbeing of a child, you can contact the following local authorities:

• Bath and North East Somerset (BANES) Children’s Services – call the Children’s Services Triage Team on 01225 396312 or 01225 396313 to discuss urgent concerns for a child’s safety
• Bristol City Council – contact the First Response Team on 0117 903 6444
• North Somerset Council – contact the Care Connect service on 01275 888 808 or email care.connect@n-somerset.gov.uk
• Somerset Council – contact Children’s Social Care by phone on 0300 123 2224 or email childrens@somerset.gov.uk.
  • To speak to a social worker outside of office hours, call the Emergency Duty Team on 0300 123 23 27
• South Gloucestershire Council – call 01454 866000 or 01454 615165 (out of hours and weekends) or text ‘EDT’ to 60066 followed by your name and message

If you think a child is in immediate danger, please contact the police on 999 before making a referral to Children’s Services.

You do not need proof to report a concern, if something does not feel right, that is enough to tell someone.

If you are in a profession such as a teacher or social worker, you may be exposed to certain situations which you feel the police should be aware of concerning vulnerable people.

If you believe a child or young person is vulnerable or being exploited, you can 

use the tell us about vulnerable or exploited people, exploiters, or organised crime form

to provide information to the police.