Introduction

This chapter looks at the relationship between risk, resilience and sexual exploitation as experienced by young people. First it defines sexual exploitation. It then looks at the different types of risk factors that have been identified to make a young person vulnerable to exploitation. It looks at the risks that young people might face while being involved in a sexually exploitative relationship and the interventions that might support vulnerable young people. It explores these in relation to the young person's resilience: their capacity to manage different forms of risk. It looks at the interplay between risk and resilience by referring to case study work with 55 sexually exploited young women (Pearce, 2002). The chapter then identifies a specific case study to look at resilience factors that contribute to the young person feeling stronger, more capable of recovering from abuse and of preventing it from reoccurring.

Sexual exploitation

Sexual exploitation is the process through which a young person under the age of 18 is enticed or coerced into a sexual relationship against their will. It has been asked: can a young person under the age of 18 choose to sell sex (Chase and Stratham, 2005; Harper and Scott, 2005)? Hidden within this question is the issue of the young person's agency. Are they a victim of sexual exploitation – a victim of abuse exercising no choice in the matter – or are they a young prostitute – someone who is exercising some choice, being capable of deciding to earn money through the sale of sex (Phoenix, 2002; Melrose and Barrett, 2004)?

Local government protocols for safeguarding sexually exploited children and young people ask services to respond first and foremost to the young person as a victim of abuse, employing child protection procedures where appropriate (DH, 2000). Consultation papers are currently looking at enhancing ways of safeguarding children, mentioning the need to address sexual exploitation as one of the key objectives in keeping children safe (DfES, 2004). The government is also addressing law enforcement issues within prostitution and trafficking, looking at some of the related policy and practice interventions that emerge (DH, 2005). Despite these developments, government policy is contradictory. Although the 2003 Sexual Offences Act makes it an offence for someone to entice a young person under the age of 18 into prostitution, the 2006 Prostitution Strategy allows for young people themselves to be arrested for offences relating to prostitution.