Important words

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Important words CSE means ‘Child Sexual Exploitation’. Here are some of the words you’ll hear when people talk about CSE:

Child Sexual Exploitation: This is when anyone under the age of 18 is tricked or manipulated into sexual activity in exchange for things like gifts, top-ups, a place to stay, promises of love or affection, or drugs or alcohol. It can happen online or face-to-face. Someone could try to get pictures of you, or engage you in sexual chat. Either way, as a young person you’re being taken advantage of.

Drugs: These affect your body and the way you feel. They make it harder for you to think clearly and make good decisions. Some of them are legal: others aren’t.

Victim: A person harmed or injured as a result of a crime or someone’s actions. This can be a boy or a girl, or a man or a woman.

Grooming: This is what happens when someone befriends you and gains your trust in order to trick you and get you to do something sexual. It is illegal under the Sexual Offences Act (2003).

Perpetrator: Anyone who commits a sexual crime or ‘grooms’ a young person is called this by the Police. The perpetrator is usually (but not always) older and has power and control over the young person. They can be any age and from any background.

Consent: It means you give permission for something to happen. If you’re involved in a sexual relationship or activity it means you are doing it because you want to without threats or the fear of being hurt.

Abuse: Cruelty or violence. This can be sexual, physical or emotional and is always illegal. Trafficked: This means that the young person is moved around so they can be abused. This could be from one place to another within the same town, or could be between different cities.

CSE: This is the short name for Child Sexual Exploitation.

Healthy Relationship: This is where both people treat each other equally with respect, support each other, listen to each other and do not pressure the other person to do things they do not want to do. They allow each other to spend time with friends and family, and most importantly - have trust in each other. Vulnerable: This word describes someone who could be easily influenced, maybe because of their age, or because they are already upset about something, or because they are in difficult circumstances.

Free Choice: This means that you and nobody else has the power and control to make decisions about your life and your body. Alcohol: This affects your brain and makes it harder for you to think clearly, speak and see things as they really are.

Manipulate: To have control or influence over a person to get them to do what you want.