Gender and exploitation: dangerous assumptions
Films, TV shows and news outlets will often talk about girls being sexually abused and boys being forced to commit crime. They create dangerous assumptions – that certain forms of exploitation only affect one gender. But any child can be exploited, in any way. We need to look beyond gender and make sure all children are protected from sexual exploitation.
Gender assumptions
Day-to-day we are bombarded by gender stereotypes. Notions of what it is to be ‘female’ or ‘male’ heap pressure on young people to be a certain way. These expectations also affect how we respond to young people.
If we assume boys are tough, strong and self-reliant and that victims are weak, the two don’t go together. We’re essentially saying that boys can’t be victims of abuse. Thankfully, these outdated stereotypes are being challenged. However, there are still gender assumptions in exploitation that put girls, boys and transgender, non-binary and gender diverse children at risk.
Boys and sexual abuse
Boys and sexual abuse
Boys’ experiences of child sexual exploitation are rarely discussed or understood. But just because we don’t talk about it, doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen.
James works with children who are exploited. 'I’ve worked with so many boys where sexual abuse was missed by professionals. They focus on what's in front of them. They see a boy growing cannabis plants and assume it’s criminal exploitation. They miss the signs that something else is going on – that this child is being sexually abused.'
'Adults can feel uncomfortable talking about sexual abuse. But unless we name it and create a safe space for boys to talk about it, they may never get the support they urgently need.'
Different forms of sexual abuse
Different forms of sexual abuse
Boys who are forced to commit crime may be sexually abused as a method of control. They might be filmed performing sexual acts and then blackmailed into further criminality. Others are sexually abused by older relatives or trafficked across the world under the illusion they are coming to the UK to study or participate in an international sports programme only to be sold into sexual slavery.
But 'toxic masculinity’ and pressure to be tough make it hard for young men to speak out In a society that compounds the view that a boy couldn’t possibly be a victim of sexual abuse, these children continue to suffer in silence.
In cultures where homosexuality is illegal, it is even harder to disclose acts of sexual abuse because of stigma and persecution. It goes unreported. But we must look closer, notice the signs of abuse and act on them rather than expecting victims to come forward.
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Girls and criminal exploitation
Similarly, when professionals view girls as victims, there is an assumption that their experiences are sexual. We don’t talk as much about the criminal exploitation of girls. But it happens. In fact, it may happen because we don’t talk about it.
Criminals are always adapting and know exactly what we aren’t looking for. They make girls move drugs, steal, carry weapons and use their bank accounts to launder criminal money — known as child financial exploitation. They do so because of our misconceptions.
girls and criminal exploitation
James reflects, 'we were supporting a girl in care and had regular meetings with social services about her. They knew she was going missing and had concerns about older males she was connected to.
In every meeting they were completely focused on the possibility of sexual exploitation. We also had these concerns but what they weren’t talking about at all was that she had been found with fake credit cards. We even knew these men had been using her bank account.
criminal exploitation was treated like a footnote
Criminal exploitation was treated like a footnote.
It was like the possibility of sexual exploitation had swallowed all the oxygen in the room and there was no room for us to discuss anything else.'
It’s vital for everyone to understand that perpetrators exploit girls for multiple and ever adapting purposes, not just sexual ones. We have to remain open to all possibilities and not let our assumptions blinker us from seeing what's really going on.
Exploitation of non-binary and transgender young people
We don't know how many transgender and non-binary young people experience sexual abuse, criminal exploitation, human trafficking and modern slavery in the UK, but this doesn't mean it doesn't happen. More needs to be done to understand these children’s experiences.
Changing Lives, a charity in north-east England, found that young people experiencing gender dysphoria (distress experienced because the sex they were assigned at birth doesn’t match their gender identity) may be more vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. Partly because of a lack of support to help them through their feelings and experiences.
Professionals need to be mindful of the discrimination and rejection these young people often face within families and from wider society. We need to understand why trans, non-binary and gender diverse children may not trust services. We need to ensure services are truly inclusive and responsive to the harms trans and non-binary young people may be experiencing.
