Runaways 'at risk of sex abuse'

Barnardo's said unhappy children are vulnerable to grooming techniques

A high proportion of children at risk of sexual exploitation have run away from home or council care, according to a charity working with the youngsters.

Barnardo's Scotland works with sexually exploited children in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee.

Of 138 youths in its Glasgow project in 2007-08, 58% had gone missing before.

The charity called for more recognition of the link between youths who run away and sexual exploitation, and for the development of specialist services.

Barnardo's Scotland said part of the problem was that councils were not monitoring the number of children at risk in their areas.

This is carefully planned - it doesn't just happen by accident Daljeet Dagon Barnardo's Scotland 'I was forced to have sex'

Its director Martin Crewe said: "Sexual exploitation by adults is a real threat for some of the most vulnerable young people in Scotland, especially those who frequently run away from home or local authority care.

"There is still not enough recognition of the scale of the problem, and a lack of specialist services to tackle it."

Barnardo's have published a report on the issue - Whose Child Now?

It said an estimated one in nine of Scotland's children run away before the age of 16, amounting to 9,000 cases a year, including those who have run away previously.

One in six will sleep rough, previous research by the Children's Society has suggested.

Barnardo's said unhappy children were vulnerable to the "grooming techniques" of abusing adults, and were often flattered by the attention.

'Know the abuser'

Sexual exploitation does not happen overnight, the report said, and it called on the authorities to intervene at an early stage to prevent grooming.

"This is organised; this is carefully planned - it doesn't just happen by accident," said Daljeet Dagon, a manager at Barnado's Scotland's project in Glasgow.

"We are regularly meeting sexually exploited children who know each other well despite the fact that they come from completely different areas of town.

"In fact, the only feature they have in common, the only thing that connects them, is the fact that they know the abuser.

"He will be the centre of the network."

Child sexual exploitation is defined as someone below the age of 18 who is coerced into sexual activity in return for things like money, accommodation or drugs.

Barnardo's Glasgow service provides counselling and advice through street work at night, and preventative work in schools and children's units.

TV campaign

The project worked with 138 young people in 2007-08, 40% of whom had been sexually exploited, with the remainder at risk.

Two-thirds of the children the project worked with were girls, while 70% of the young people were aged between 14 and 16.

But the project has also worked with a girl as young as 10 after she was found late at night, alone, in the red light district.

The girl was assessed to be at risk of sexual exploitation and the project worked closely with her for months.

But recent research by Edinburgh University found that only 1% of services north of the border specialised in sexual exploitation and all were in the voluntary sector.

Barnardo's, which has called for more focus on the issue among local authorities, will launch a major TV advertising campaign next month.