Recent high-profile child sexual exploitation cases have thrown this vile crime under the spotlight. The many agencies who work with children - not just councils, but health services and schools - have, in too many cases, had difficulties identifying, tackling and reporting child sexual exploitation (CSE). For example, there have been misconceptions about the way CSE appears and the particular type of profile it has to 'fit'. This is a complex crime and its true extent is still largely unknown. What is true is that no community should assume it is immune; our fear is that there could still be unreported cases of CSE in the country. What we do know is that there are lots of myths perpetuated about CSE, but the truth is there is no pattern it fits. Except that in almost all cases it is perpetuated by men, there is no 'pattern'. Victims can be girls or boys and just because CSE takes a particular form in one town, it is not true to say it will be the same in neighbouring areas. Some victims may not feel as though they are victims at all and, for others, organisations can find it difficult persuading vulnerable young people to report what is going on and feel like it will be taken seriously.
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