Criminal justice and youth violence
Everyone Has a Role to Play in Preventing Child Exploitation (Youth Voice Report 2024 - 324 young people consulted across England and Wales)
The Children's Society · 2024
About this report
This report presents findings from consultations with 324 young people aged 13–19 across England and Wales, exploring how adults — including the public, security staff, police, and transport workers — respond to children at risk of exploitation. Young people reported that bias related to race, gender, appearance, and neurodiversity significantly affects whether adults intervene to help. They called for more empathetic, non-judgemental, and proactive responses from all adults, and highlighted that minoritised young people are disproportionately less likely to receive protection. The findings will inform The Children's Society's national #LookCloser campaign and work with professionals to improve responses to child exploitation.
Research details
- Methodology
- Focus groupOther
- Sample size
- 324
- Sample
- Young people aged 13–19 engaged in youth services, school councils, young people's steering groups, and forums across England and Wales, including attendees at the annual Young Carers Festival hosted by the YMCA and The Children's Society.
- Who it's about
- Young carers
- Place
- EnglandWales
- Youth involvement
- Young people consulted
- Funder
- Home Office