For many years, child protection in the UK has been based around safeguarding children from harm within their families and homes or, less commonly, from adults in a position of trust. Recent years have made professionals more aware of new hazards to children that are mainly from outside these settings. Child Sexual Exploitation is increasingly being recognised as a common risk, and is often links to other forms of exploitation such as County Lines, Knife Crime, Trafficking, and Gangs.

A recent report by the Children’s Commissioner for England highlighted that the temporary closure during Covid-19 of resources such as schools, youth centres, children’s centres and clinics removed a vital safety net for vulnerable children. This is likely to have increased the number of children being drawn into sexual and other exploitation.