Children may be vulnerable to neglect and abuse or exploitation from within their family and from individuals they come across in their day-to-day lives. These threats can take a variety of different forms, including: sexual, physical and emotional abuse; neglect; domestic abuse, including controlling or coercive behaviour; exploitation by criminal gangs and organised crime groups; trafficking; online abuse; sexual exploitation and the influences of extremism leading to radicalisation. Whatever the form of abuse or neglect, practitioners should put the needs of children first when determining what action to take.
Children have said that they need
- Vigilance: to have adults notice when things are troubling them
- Understanding and action: to understand what is happening; to be heard and
understood; and to have that understanding acted upon - Stability: to be able to develop an ongoing stable relationship of trust with those
helping them - Respect: to be treated with the expectation that they are competent rather than
not - Information and engagement: to be informed about and involved in procedures,
decisions, concerns and plans - Explanation: to be informed of the outcome of assessments and decisions and
reasons when their views have not met with a positive response - Support: to be provided with support in their own right as well as a member of
their family - Advocacy: to be provided with advocacy to assist them in putting forward their
views - Protection: to be protected against all forms of abuse and discrimination and the
right to special protection and help if a refugee