Vulnerability indicators

Vulnerability indicators

In the context of child abuse and exploitation, UNICEF helpfully draws attention to the drivers and risks which can make children more vulnerable to sexual exploitation (see Figure 4). However, it is important to clarify that vulnerability is not the cause of abuse. Furthermore, although research draws attention to some characteristics that are common to victims of CSE, not all victims share these characteristics.130 Care must be taken to prevent these vulnerability indicators from reinforcing stereotypes and leading to victims who do not necessarily display these typical characteristics from being overlooked.131

Figure 4: Drivers and risks table, reproduced from 2020 UNICEF report on child sexual abuse and exploitation132 Similar to other types of exploitation, identity characteristics, such as race, class and disability, also impact a child’s vulnerability to abuse. Sexual exploitation can impact girls and boys from all backgrounds. Following on from the vulnerability factors identified in the ‘Child criminal exploitation’ section of this document (see pages 54 - 57), research has found that children from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds are less likely to be recognised as victims. Additionally, there is significant research available that children with learning disabilities133 and/or those in local authority care134 are more susceptible to exploitation. The Jay Report which looked at the child sexual exploitation cases in Rotherham revealed that many of the girls who were abused were in local