Concluding thoughts

Different authors in this book have drawn on their research, policy and practice experience to engage in a critical appraisal of a range of approaches to child sexual exploitation (CSE) and related trafficking, looking at what these terms mean, how they are interpreted, how and why the exploitation occurs, and what may be done to enhance the safety of young people. The main theme throughout the book is that a critical appraisal will help us to unravel and work with the complex issues involved with identifying, understanding and working with CSE and related trafficking. We unashamedly challenge any oversimplified portrayal of the problems involved. For example, recent media coverage of a number of prosecutions for CSE has raised public attention to the exploitation of white girls by Asian (mainly Pakistani) men. It is clear that this pattern of exploitation exists, but it is only one of many forms of CSE and we will overlook different forms of abuse, including the abuse of boys and young men, by allowing attention to focus on only one. Also, CSE has traditionally been understood as an offence committed by adults, whereas more recent work is revealing worrying numbers of young people both abusing through CSE and being abused, making the distinction between perpetrator and victim harder to assert.